The origin of Indiana’s choke celebration: Reggie Miller’s iconic moment that Haliburton and Pacers fans are reviving

Tyrese Haliburton knew the moment had to be perfect.

Madison Square Garden? Check.

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals? Check.

Reggie Miller in the building? Perfect.

So when he hit what he thought was a game-winning three to beat the New York Knicks, Haliburton went full throwback: sprinting toward the sideline, hands clasped dramatically around his neck.

Remembering Reggie’s choke celebration

There was a twist: Haliburton’s foot was on the line. The shot was a two. The game wasn’t over. His premature throwback to one of the most iconic moments of Pacers-Knicks history was, partly, in vain.

“I might have wasted it,” Haliburton admitted after Indiana pulled off a 138-135 overtime win anyway. “If I’d known it was a 2, I wouldn’t have done it.” The Pacers went on to win anyway.

Miller’s choke celebration was born in 1994. Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers trailed by 12 heading into the fourth. Miller scored 25 points in the final quarter, outscoring the Knicks by himself. And after draining a corner three, he turned to Knicks superfan Spike Lee, locked eyes, and mimed a choke. Had their bottle really gone?

Indiana stole the game, silenced the Garden, and took a 3-2 lead in the series. Spike Lee, who’d spent the entire game heckling Miller from courtside, was made into a meme before memes existed.

Never mind that the Knicks came back to win the series. Miller’s moment – and the gesture - lived on. So did the feud as Lee and Miller went at it for years.

Haliburton was ready for Miller choke moment

In some ways, Haliburton had been preparing for this for a year. After beating the Knicks in Game 7 of last season’s East semifinals, he showed up to the press conference in a hoodie featuring Miller’s choke pose. This year, with the stakes higher, he decided to bring it to the court.

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