Students react to end of 'Miller Time'

For 18 seasons, every game night was "Miller Time."\nBut Thursday night was "Miller Time" for the last time as Reggie Miller and the Pacers lost to the Pistons 88-79, marking the end of his career with Indiana. \nWhile the city of Indianapolis watches as one of its greatest sports stars walks away, Pacer fans at IU are feeling many of the same emotions that Pacer fans everywhere are feeling -- sadness.\nMany things stay a constant in people's lives. For junior Robbie Calderon, it has been Miller. Ever since he has been a fan, Miller has been there, he said.\n"He has been playing since I have been alive," Calderon said. "It will be strange that he won't be playing anymore."\nThough many fans were watching Miller's final game on a television screen, junior Jamison Shuck was one of 18,345 in attendance.\nFor someone who has attended games throughout his lifetime, including six this season, watching Miller walk away was an emotional moment, he said.\n"It was really sad," Shuck said. "We all started to chant his name and 'one more year.' I got \nteary-eyed."\nMiller has been a star throughout his time with the Pacers. But for the nation he became a superstar during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 5 against the New York Knicks, Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 8 points in 11.2 seconds.\nThere are many moments that left people in awe throughout Miller's career, but one sticks out in sophomore Michael Mitzman's mind.\n"The one against the Bulls in 1998 when he hit the game-winning shot," Mitzman said.\nThe shot came in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals as Miller hit a three pointer with 2.7 seconds left to propel the Pacers past Chicago 96-94.\nCalderon's favorite was last season during when Indiana beat Detroit in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals, when Miller hit a three with 31.7 seconds to break a 74-74 tie and give the Pacers the win.\nDespite the feeling that Miller was cheated out of a championship run this season -- due to the melee with Detroit Nov. 19 that led to the suspensions of Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson -- Shuck said he was glad that Miller got to finish his career the way he was for most of it -- a star.\n"I think the incident did hurt our chances for a championship," Shuck said. "But it let him go out on top. He got to retire as a superstar rather than as a role player."\n-- Contact Sports Editor Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.