If it weren’t for a single shot, the Knicks might never have reached the NBA Finals against the Spurs in 1999. Down by 3 with just 11.9 seconds to go in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the plan was for Allan Houston to take the shot. But a tipped inbounds pass led the ball to Larry Johnson, who did not hesitate.
“I had shooting on my brain from the start I got it,” Johnson would recall. “I was going to be the hero or I was going to be the villain. But I was going to shoot that ball.