Stephen Jackson celebrated his birthday by scoring 33 points and the Indiana Pacers beat the Knicks 97-79 last night despite a poor shooting night from Reggie Miller in his final appearance at Madison Square Garden.

Miller, who plans to retire after this season, has long tormented the Knicks and their fans – most notably film director Spike Lee – with his clutch play in crucial games at the Garden. Last night, however, he went just 3-for-15 from the floor and finished with 13 points.

As the clock wound down in the final two minutes, the crowd chanted “Reggie, Reg-gie.” When the game ended, Miller walked across the court and embraced Lee.

Stephon Marbury had 19 points to lead the Knicks, who have lost seven in a row and saw their slim playoff hopes get even more tenuous.

The Pacers, with their fourth win in a row, moved ahead of Cleveland in the race for the seventh Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Jackson, who turned 27, was 12-for-22 from the field.

Miller was the first Pacer announced in the pregame introduction and was greeted with a loud mixture of boos and cheers. Some fans held up signs reading: “Reggie Thanks for the Memories,” and “We Love Reggie.”

After coming out for good earlier in the fourth quarter, several fans yelled “thank you” to Miller during a timeout with 2:33 left. He nodded his head and raised his hand in acknowledgment.

Anthony Johnson had 13 points for Indiana, and Dale Davis added 10.

Tim Thomas had 13 for New York, while Kurt Thomas had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Jamal Crawford added 10 points.