The final 2.9 seconds of Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers was a moment for the ages. Down by one point, the Pacers drew up a play for Reggie Miller to come off a screen and hit a game-winning shot. The sharpshooting guard did exactly that, albeit with a little controversy.
Push or shove?
Before receiving the inbounds pass from Derrick McKey, Miller freed himself from Michael Jordan with seemingly excessive contact. Pundits claim it should’ve been an offensive foul. However, the Pacers, particularly general manager Donnie Walsh and star swingman Jalen Rose, had a different interpretation of the controversial play. Walsh even hinted that MJ may have tried to sell the call.
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“When I first saw it, I was sitting at the other end of the floor and it looked like a push-off,” Walsh said to The New York Times. “But when I saw it again, and I saw it again with this documentary, it shows Reggie coming out and Michael is definitely waiting on him and he’s going to grab a hold of him. What Reggie did, he didn’t push him, he just kind of made contact with him really quick and he was gone. And it made Michael react a little bit. It was just a slight bump and Michael reacted.”
As for Rose, whether it was a shove or a light push, he believed the officials made the right choice by not blowing the whistle. There are some plays referees have to let go and let it unravel by itself.
“I didn’t see a push-off. Maybe a love tap,” Rose said. “I just saw him creating space. A push-off, you get called for an offensive foul, right? When you’ve got an all-time great player and shooter and scorer and clutch performer (Miller), a veteran officiating crew knows the game is going to be physical and they know, let the players decide the outcome.”
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Almost a comeback
The game ain’t over, ’til it’s over, especially when Jordan is on the floor. With 0.7 seconds left down by two points, Phil Jackson drew up a play, hoping to snatch the victory from the Pacers. MJ got the inbounds pass, double-pumped a 3-pointer, which hit the backboard, then the front of the rim, before bouncing off. Walsh was sweating bullets while watching the final play of Game 4.
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“I’ll never forget: They had seven-tenths of a second left,” Walsh said. “And I’m watching it and where I’m sitting, I’m right online with the shot and I’m saying, ‘He might make that.’ Well, that thing hit the rim and barely bounced out. He came that close to making it. I couldn’t believe it.”
The Pacers’ win put the series at 2-2. It went on to a do-or-die Game 7, where both teams’ mettle was tested. The Pacers were looking to make history by dethroning the NBA Champions. Meanwhile, the Bulls were looking to complete another three-peat.
The Bulls prevailed in the end, 88-83. Nevertheless, the Pacers got their respect. Jordan even said the Pacers, outside the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys, were his toughest foe throughout his professional career. That’s something to be proud of.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.