28 Years Ago Today: Indiana Pacers Eliminate Atlanta Hawks

It's always 'Miller Time'.

USA TODAY Sports

My daily routine always includes two things - playing Wordle and checking Basketball-Reference's 'On This Day' feature. Given the Atlanta Hawks history, they have some claim to fame on any given day. Unfortunately, in the spring, it's almost always playoff losses.

Exactly 28 years ago today, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Hawks 98-79 in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Reggie Miller was able to help eliminate the Hawks with 18 points on 44% shooting from the field. All five Pacers starters scored in double digits, with Derrick McKey logging a grueling 46 minutes of action.

Meanwhile, Mookie Blaylock led the Hawks with 23 points. Keep in mind this was the season when Atlanta traded the face of their franchise (Dominique Wilkins) to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning. The controversial trade is still a sore subject in Atlanta almost three decades later.

After eliminating the Hawks, the Pacers advanced to play the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks won the bitter 7-game series against the Pacers, only to lose a 7-games series against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. 

Reggie Miller in 1994 / USA TODAY Sports

Much like today, the Eastern Conference (when Michael Jordan was playing baseball) was highly competitive. Any number of teams could have won during that brief period in history. As always, stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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