NEW YORK — Reggie Miller took a moment Wednesday to sit courtside with Spike Lee, the Knicks superfan he famously traded barbs with throughout his Pacers’ postseason battles at Madison Square Garden more than two decades ago.

Back at the Garden to call Game 2 of the latest Knicks-Pacers playoff series for TNT, Miller posed for pregame photos with Lee, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind movies such as “Do the Right Thing” and “She’s Gotta Have It.”

“Me and Reggie squashed that stuff 20 years ago, so we’re friends,” Lee told the New York Daily News at the Garden, shortly before reuniting with his one-time rival. “In fact, I’ve got some stuff I want him to sign tonight.”

Among the items Miller signed was a framed copy of the June 3, 1994 edition of the Daily News, which featured the headline, “Thanks A Lot, Spike.”

Miller’s Pacers met the Knicks in six playoff series between 1993 and 2000, with the teams winning three apiece. The sharp-shooting, trash-talking Miller repeatedly delivered memorable moments during those epic clashes, especially with Lee sitting courtside.

The spirited spats included Miller giving the “choke” gesture to Lee during a Pacers come-from-behind victory in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, and Miller scoring eight points in 8.9 seconds late in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals.

“We’re two grown men,” Lee said. “That’s dead and buried. We’re good.”

Miller averaged 23.1 points per game over 35 postseason meetings with the Knicks, during which established himself as the ultimate New York sports villain.

This year’s second-round matchup between the Knicks and Pacers marks the eighth postseason meeting between the teams.

Miller, who spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Pacers, called the first two games of the Nuggets-Timberwolves series in Denver, then pivoted to Game 2 at the Garden on Wednesday.

...continued

©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.