The NBA in the 1990s saw many clutch players. Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller are two names that come to mind when you think of clutch performers during that decade.
- 1995 NBA Playoff Theatrics
- 1995 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4, Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic
- Rik Smits Saves The Day
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What if I told you one of the clutchest shots ever made in one of the wildest finishes in NBA playoff history involved the Indiana Pacers, yet, the player associated with this clutch shot wasn’t Miller.
1995 NBA Playoff Theatrics
The NBA playoffs in 1995 had plenty of incredible moments with drama that would make a daytime soap show writer smile.
There was the famous game where Michael Jordan, wearing number 45, had the ball stolen at the end of Game 1 of the semifinals round against the Orlando Magic, costing the Chicago Bulls the game.
Jordan would switch back to his familiar number 23 for the remainder of the series, but the Bulls would lose to the Magic, 4-2.
The Indiana Pacers and their star, Reggie Miller, were also involved in one of the craziest sequences in NBA playoff history during the semifinals against the New York Knicks.
It was Game 1 in New York and the Knicks held a comfortable 105-99 over the Pacers with only 18.7 seconds left in the game.
Then, Reggie Miller proceeded to hit a three-pointer, steal the inbounds pass, back up, and hit another three. After a silly foul by the Pacers’ Sam Mitchell sent the Knicks’ John Starks to the free-throw line, things seemed to still be in the Knicks’ favor.
Starks would go on to miss both free throws, setting up a Miller rebound, on which he was fouled and he’d hit both free throws… the Pacers walked away with a 107-105 Game 1 victory.
The Pacers would go on to win the series in seven games, setting up an Eastern Conference Finals matchup between Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Magic.
The Magic had a home-court advantage in the series and they protected their home by winning the first two games in the series.
After the Pacers defended their home-court in Game 3, the Magic were eager to steal the next game in Indiana to take a commanding 3-1 series lead as they head back to Orlando.
1995 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4, Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic
Game 4 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic would up the theatrics of an already crazy postseason.
The game was played on Memorial Day and by the end of the game, everyone was calling it the “Memorial Day Miracle”. Keep reading to find out why.
The game was close throughout, but the final 13.3 seconds would go down in history.
The Magic held a one-point lead with those 13.3 seconds remaining, thanks to a three-pointer made by Brian Shaw. The score was 90-89 and the Pacers had possession.
After the Pacers struggled to inbounds the ball, Reggie Miller eventually wound up with the ball and he drilled a three-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining in the game. Miller’s shot gave the Pacers a 92-90 lead over the Magic.
The crowd at Market Square Arena, the Pacers home court, were going crazy, but the Magic players didn’t panic.
The ball was inbounded to Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. He took two hard dribbles and pulled up for a straight-on three over the Pacers’ guard, Haywoode Workman.
The Magic now led, 93-92 with 1.3 seconds remaining in the game. It looked like the Magic might steal a game in Indiana and take that commanding 3-1 series lead. But then, Rik Smits happened.
Rik Smits Saves The Day
Smits was a 7’4″ player from the Netherlands. His height didn’t necessarily match his style of play. His nickname was “The Dunking Dutchman”, but this didn’t match his game, either.
Today, centers step out to shoot long jump shots or three-pointers on the regular. But back in the 1990s, centers stayed in the post and took their opponents toward the hoop.
Now, Smits would back his opponent down and hit a little hook shot over the top of them, but he also liked to step out to hit jumpers.
Smits didn’t take three-pointers (26 attempts in his career with three makes), but his jump shot from 15 feet was as smooth as a shooting guard’s.
So, when the Pacers inbounded the ball with 1.3 seconds left in the crucial Game 4, it may not have shocked fans when Smits, not Reggie Miller, ended up with the ball.
The Magic guarded Miller to perfection, making sure he had no shot to touch the ball. The Pacers were getting close to a five-second violation, and they needed to inbounds the ball, quickly.
Smits, seeing Miller was no longer an option on offense, ran up to about the elbow of the key on the court, caught the ball, and turned to face the hoop.
Smits immediately pump-faked the ball, which freed him up from the Magic’s Tree Rollins, setting himself up for a wide-open shot.
Smits would take that smooth jump shot just before time expired. The buzzer rang and Smits’ shot swished… nothing but net.
The Pacers won the game by a score of 94-93, successfully tying the series at 2-2. Smits finished the game with 21 points.
The Pacers would go on to lose the series in seven games, making it their second straight year losing 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals (The Pacers lost 4-3 to the Knicks in 1994).
Despite the series ending in a loss, Rik Smits made one of the most clutch shots in a game that gave fans one of the craziest finishes of all time in NBA playoff history.
For that, we as NBA fans say, thank you, Rik Smits.
