Reggie Miller, Tyrese Haliburton and now … Caitlin Clark.
Sitting courtside at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Recreation 3 of the NBA Finals, the Fever guard grew to become the newest Indiana basketball famous person to invoke Miller’s legendary choke celebration — even when she wasn’t enjoying within the recreation herself.
When cameras panned to Clark through the first half, the Iowa product couldn’t resist doing the celebration, which Miller famously used to taunt the Knicks after his Pacers received Recreation 5 of the 1994 Japanese Convention finals.
Haliburton paid homage to that legendary second in Recreation 1 of this 12 months’s convention finals in opposition to the Knicks, pulling it out after hitting his ridiculous shot that compelled additional time and led to an eventual Indiana win.
At this level, the celebration is synonymous not simply with Miller however with the Pacers and Indiana basketball as an entire.
Clark breaking it out might have been untimely, because the Pacers and Thunder have been locked in a back-and-forth battle for many of the recreation, however Indiana got here via with a 116-107 win behind a terrific fourth quarter.
Nonetheless, the choke celebration might need been extra apt through the Pacers’ gorgeous Recreation 1 win in Oklahoma Metropolis, with Indiana trailing by double digits for a lot of the sport earlier than storming again late and stealing a 111-110 win on a go-ahead jumper from Haliburton with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Clark has been sidelined with a left quad pressure since Could 24, however the 23-year-old — who’s shut mates with Haliburton — has made loads of cameos at Gainbridge Fieldhouse all through the Pacers’ run to the Finals.
In reality, Indiana is 8-0 in playoff video games this 12 months with Clark in attendance.
Clark may have a chance to make one other look at Recreation 4 on Friday night time, when Indiana will look to take a commanding 3-1 collection lead in opposition to the Thunder.
And maybe Clark will get away the choke celebration as soon as she returns to the court docket with the upstart Fever, who’re hoping for their very own magical playoff run in September.
