1996 Eastern Conference First Round Game 5 vs Knicks
A fierce 1990s rivalry defined by physical play and four straight playoff battles.
The Heat–Knicks rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the two teams met in the NBA playoffs four years in a row from 1997 to 2000, with the Knicks winning three of those series and the Heat winning one. The teams most recently met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2023 NBA playoffs, which the Heat won in six games.
- Series Result
- Heat won series 3-2
- Key Franchise Milestone
- First Playoff Series Win
- Opponent
- New York Knicks
- Coach
- Pat Riley
- Arena
- Miami Arena
Lore & Background
The Heat–Knicks rivalry was one of the fiercest in the NBA, and Sports Illustrated considered it the third-best NBA rivalry. Prior to the 1997 NBA playoffs, no two NBA teams had ever met in the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, with each series going to the maximum possible number of games. The aggressive nature of those four series, defensive struggles marked by numerous foul calls, and intensely physical play, can be traced to the highly defensive style of Pat Riley, former coach of both teams and the rivalry's central figure.
In Their Own Story
The air in Miami Arena hung heavy, thick with the scent of sweat and floor wax. Tim Hardaway dribbled low, his eyes locked on the rim as the Knicks' defense collapsed like a steel trap. Alonzo Mourning stood firm under the basket, a silent guardian against Patrick Ewing's dominance. The crowd roared, a deafening wall of sound that seemed to vibrate through the hardwood. With seconds ticking away and the score knotted in a defensive struggle, Hardaway launched a fadeaway. The ball arced high, spinning against the bright arena lights before swishing cleanly through the net. Silence fell for a split second before eruption. They had done it. For the first time, the Heat were not just participants; they were survivors.
Reader's Guide
The rivalry began after Pat Riley moved from the Knicks to the Heat in 1995. The first playoff meeting was in the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals, which the Heat won in seven games after a brawl led to suspensions for key Knicks players. The Knicks won the next three playoff series: 1998 Eastern Conference First Round (3–2), 1999 Eastern Conference First Round (3–2), and 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals (4–3). The 1999 series was notable for Allan Houston's game-winning shot in Game 5, which propelled the Knicks to an NBA Finals appearance.
Did You Know?
- The 1997 series was the first time in NBA history that two teams met in the playoffs for four consecutive seasons.
- Pat Riley coached both the Knicks and the Heat during the rivalry.
- The Knicks became the only 8th-seeded team to reach the NBA Finals before the 2023 Miami Heat did it.
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