X factor: Miller goes down shooting
By Kevin Jackson
ESPN.com
LOS ANGELES -- Reggie Miller hardly sounded like a player who had just missed 15 of 16 shots from the field, turning in the sixth-worst shooting performance in NBA Finals history.
|  | | Reggie Miller never got going in the first NBA Finals game of his career. |
He had evidently forgotten that he produced arguably the worst performance of his career in what was unquestionably his biggest game.
He hardly seemed concerned that he had flopped in his most important homecoming, disappointing the fans who watched him play at nearby Riverside Poly High School and UCLA.
None of that seemed to matter by the time Miller reached the postgame interview podium following the Pacers' 104-87 loss to the Lakers in Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday night.
There was no disappointment in his voice. No doubt. Only defiance.
"I tell you what, if they continue to give me those looks, they're going to be in trouble," said Miller, issuing a stern warning to Los Angeles. "My first shots went in and out, every shot but one felt good.
"So if they're going to play me like that, it's only a matter of time."
Call it the ultimate shooter's mentality.
It only mattered to Miller that all but one shot "felt good." He just conveniently forgot that only one of his shots actually was good.
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OFF NIGHTS |
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Reggie Miller's 1-for-16 performance was the sixth-worst performance for players who attempted at least 10 shots in the NBA Finals. Here's a look at these dubious efforts:
0-for-14: Chick Riser of Baltimore vs. Philadelphia on April 10, 1948.
0-for-14: Dennis Johnson of Seattle vs. Washington on June 7, 1978.
0-for-12: Guy Rodgers of San Francisco vs. Boston on April 18, 1964.
0-for-11: Harry Gallatin of New York vs. Rochester on April 11, 1951.
0-for-10: Dick Schulz of Baltimore vs. Philadelphia on April 13, 1948.
1-for-15: Reggie Miller of Indiana vs. L.A. Lakers on June 7, 2000.
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The brash Pacers guard was held scoreless in the first half, watching helplessly as Indiana fell behind 55-43 at the intermission.
He missed all six of his first-quarter shots -- even though several of them were wide-open jump shots. He attempted only one shot in the second period, and that attempt was rudely rejected by Robert Horry. The block sparked a Lakers' fastbreak and resulted in a layup by Rick Fox.
Take away Miller's 0-for-7 performance in the first half, and the Pacers would have had a shooting percentage better than 50 percent (16-for-31). Instead, Indiana was in big trouble.
Things didn't get much better in the second half, but Miller kept right on shooting.
He finally scored his first points of the night with 8:19 left in the third period when he was fouled on a hard drive to the hoop and then knocked down both free throws. A few minutes later, he made his only field goal on a runner in the lane. In between, he missed a wide-open look at a 3-pointer that just rimmed out.
Miller was guarded much of the night by Ron Harper, but even Lakers coach Phil Jackson admitted it wasn't anything the L.A. defense did that threw the Pacers star off his game.
"I couldn't put the ball in the basket first and foremost," said Miller, who finished with a playoff career-low seven points after averaging 22 per game in two regular-season meetings with L.A.
"I feel bad I only got up 16 shots. If I was going to be 1-for-16, I at least should have been 1-for-25 or something like that."
In other words, don't expect Reggie Miller to stop shooting any time soon. It's not in his nature.
Asked to describe his mindset after a rough first half, Miller said, "Keep my mind on basketball, shoot and shoot.
"You could miss eight, nine in a row. Personally, I feel you're going to come back and make eight or nine in a row if you're a true shooter and a true scorer."
Pacers coach Larry Bird, a guy who knows a thing or two about being a "true shooter," said he was pleased to see Miller didn't back off when his shot abandoned him.
"It's not uncommon for a guy in his first Finals -- after he's carried us all the way and played with a lot of confidence -- to go out and struggle a bit in the first game," Bird said.
"We don't give up on Reggie Miller because he's too valuable to this team. Next game, I hope he takes another 17 to 25 shots. That's what he is; he's a shooter, he's a scorer, and he'll bounce back."
Miller seems to be fairly certain just when he'll bounce back.
"The good thing about is there's a game on Friday," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. (Wednesday was) just one of those off nights, and Friday will be our night."
And the Lakers are wary of just that.
"Reggie Miller is the type of guy that I've never really seen him have two bad games in a row," Shaquille O'Neal said.
The Pacers are counting on it.
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Reggie Miller was ice cold in his return to sunny L.A.
Reggie Miller gives a stern warning to the Lakers.
