Reggie Miller used to torment Knicks fans. Now he is giving them a reason to hope.
The TNT analyst and soon-to-be Hall of Famer said the Knicks “absolutely” have a chance to pull a major first-round upset over the Heat when the NBA playoffs tip off this weekend.
“When you look at playoff teams there are a few things you need: To have great team defense, which the Knicks have played since [coach Mike] Woodson has taken over, to have great individual defenders, and they have two excellent ones in Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler, and you need a bona fide closer,” Miller said.
Carmelo Anthony (left) and the Knicks in the playoffs" title="INSTANT CARMA: TNT analyst Reggie Miller (inset) says don’t count out Carmelo Anthony (left) and the Knicks in the playoffs" width="300" height="300" src="/rw/nypost/2012/04/27/sports/web_photos/27.1sxxx.tvcover.C.TA--300x300.jpg" />
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INSTANT CARMA: TNT analyst Reggie Miller (inset) says don’t count out Carmelo Anthony (left) and the Knicks in the playoffs
“[That’s] a guy that you can just throw the ball to, get to the free-throw line, keep you in games on the road and trust with leads at home. And they obviously have that in Carmelo [Anthony]. And the way they’ve been playing the last month and a half, I would not, by any means, be surprised if they push or beat Miami .”
Miller was the Pacers’ closer when they faced the Knicks in six playoff series over eight years, with each team advancing three times. But it’s not Anthony’s scoring prowess that has opened Miller’s eyes in recent weeks.
“What I’m most proud of is his defense and how he’s bought in,” Miller said. “Especially his latter years in Denver and last year when he was trying to carve a niche into that New York lore it was all offense.”
And Anthony’s teams only made it out of the first round once: In 2009 the star forward led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Lakers in six games. He was brought to New York, in a trade last season, with the thinking he could team with Amar’e Stoudemire as a superstar tandem.
But Stoudemire hurt his back before Game 2 against the Celtics in last year’s opening round of the playoffs and struggled through limited minutes as the Knicks were swept. This season, Stoudemire has just returned from missing time with a bulging disk in his back.
“What he can give you is another big body, toughness, opportunistic baskets as well,” Miller said.
“For instance, if you look at the end of [Sunday’s] game in Atlanta and the big block, would we have seen that at the beginning of the year? Maybe, not.”
Miller said the Knicks are one of several Eastern Conference teams capable of reaching the Finals. So is his former team.
“It’s wide open,” he said. “The way the Pacers are playing, and how hard they play, and the Knicks with Carmelo, there’s four or five teams that could come out of the East, and I probably wouldn’t have made that statement two months ago.
“There are eight or nine teams [from both conferences] that could be like the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals; teams that weren’t expected to win it last year, came out of nowhere, got hot at the right time to win it.’’
jterranova@nypost.com
Reggie Miller, Carmelo Anthony, Knicks, NBA playoffs, Iman Shumpert, Western Conference Finals, TNT
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