Heat–Knicks rivalry

Miami Heat-New York Knicks
History
Post Season Meetings	13–11 (NYK)
1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals	Heat won, 4–3
1998 Eastern Conference First Round	Knicks won, 3–2
1999 Eastern Conference First Round	Knicks won, 3–2
2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals	Knicks won, 4–3

The Heat–Knicks rivalry was a rivalry between the Heat and Knicks of the National Basketball Association.

Known as one of the fiercest rivalries in recent history, the Heat–Knicks rivalry was derived from their frequent, and frequently long, playoff series. It was listed as the NBA's third best rivalry in a SI countdown. Prior to their rivalry, there had never been an occasion in the NBA where two teams had met in the playoffs 4 straight seasons and had each series extend to the maximum number of games. The Heat and Knicks thus made history by meeting in the playoffs for the maximum number of games every year from 1997-2000. The aggressive nature of these games—defensive struggles marked by numerous foul calls and intense physical play—can be traced to the highly defensive style of Pat Riley, former coach of both teams and the rivalries' central figure.

Background

On March 1, 1991, Dave Checketts was named Knicks team president, and he hired Pat Riley as head coach for the 1991-92 season. After years as bottom-dwellers and also-rans, Riley turned New York into legitimate contenders in a short time, culminating with an Eastern Conference Championship in 1994 before an eventual loss to the Houston Rockets in the 1994 NBA Finals that year, which denied New York from having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year, as the New York Rangers had won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals over the Vancouver Canucks during the Finals.

Unable to repeat a trip to the Finals in 1995, Riley stepped down as the Knicks' head coach. At the time, many speculated either that Riley thought the Knicks were no longer a legitimate title threat and that he wanted to move on, or that Riley wanted more power in the Knicks organization. Riley answered that question on September 2, 1995, when he took over as Team President and Head Coach of the underachieving Miami Heat. The Heat and Knicks were both in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Riley's move caused some controversy, as the Knicks accused the Heat of tampering while Riley was still under contract, which was settled after the Heat sent their 1996 first round pick (#19 - Walter McCarty) and $1 million in cash to the Knicks on September 1, 1995.

1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals

In only his second season as Miami's head coach, Riley's Heat dethroned the Knicks as Atlantic Division champions. This was the setup for one of the most dramatic playoff series in NBA history, when these teams met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Game 1, which the Knicks won 88-79, was iced by Ewing's emphatic dunk over Alonzo Mourning. Jamal Mashburn's 3-pointer put Game 2 out of reach. Miami tied the series at 1 with the 88-84 victory. In Game 3 at the Garden, Patrick Ewing made a key play by coming out to the 3-point line and blocking a potential game-tying 3 from Tim Hardaway, then securing the loose ball. The Knicks won 77-73. The Knicks won Game 4 89-76, dominating Miami the entire way to gain a comfortable 3-1 series lead.

However, the Heat won Game 5 96-81, which was highlighted by a brawl between the two teams that started when Heat power forward P.J. Brown objected to Knick point guard Charlie Ward's attempt to gain position for a rebound. Brown flipped Ward over his head and body-slammed him, and a melee ensued. The Knicks and their fans speculated that Pat Riley told Brown to start a brawl in the hopes that Knicks players would get suspended, since the series was unwinnable against a full-strength Knicks team that many considered prime to dethrone Chicago. This is up for debate, since many observers questioned why Ward dived toward Brown's legs with the game out of reach in the first place (Also worth noting is the fact that Brown's much taller than Ward). During the brawl, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson and John Starks left the bench; the league punished them for this by handing out 1-game suspensions spread out over the series' final 2 games. Ewing, Houston and Ward were suspended for Game 6; Johnson and Starks were suspended for Game 7. Shorthanded by the suspensions, the Knicks lost Games 6 and 7 95-90 and 101-90 respectively and the series. The Heat advanced to face the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, which they lost in 5 games.

1998 Eastern Conference First Round

Bolstered by the previous year's results, the Heat once again captured the Atlantic Division crown. The Knicks regressed somewhat, largely due to Ewing suffering a severely broken wrist that forced him to miss most of the regular season, and only attained the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. With Chicago again gaining the #1 seed, the Heat were paired against the Knicks in a rematch of their series the year before. Miami won Game 1 94-79, but the Knicks bounced back and won Game 2 96-86 to tie the series at 1. Miami won Game 3 91-85 to take a 2-1 series lead. But New York took Game 4 90-85, which was highlighted by the fight between Mourning and Larry Johnson at the end of the game (ironically, they were former teammates in Charlotte). Although neither landed a punch despite their best intentions, the fight famously saw Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy grab on to Mourning's legs in an unsuccessful attempt to break the fight up. The NBA suspended Mourning and Johnson for the fight.

Without Mourning, the Knicks jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead in Game 5. However, Miami chipped away at it in the third and fourth quarters. In the fourth, Tim Hardaway connected on a number of long and improbable 3-pointers until with over 6 minutes left, the Heat only trailed 72-70. With the momentum and emotion of the crowd behind them, the Heat seemed poised to overtake the Knicks. However, the Knicks retook the momentum on a sequence consisting of a Ward steal and layup, an Allan Houston dunk, and then a fast-break layup by Oakley, on which he was fouled from behind and fell into the stands (this was ruled to be a flagrant, meaning the Knicks shot free throws and retained possession). On the extra possession, Starks hit a 3 that extended the Knicks' lead back up to 13. Miami wouldn't challenge New York the rest of the way, as the Knicks won the series with a 98-81 victory in Miami. New York then lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Pacers in 5.

1999 Eastern Conference First Round

The lockout-shortened 1998–99 season saw the Heat try to move past the previous year's playoff disappointment as Michael Jordan's retirement saw the Bulls quickly fade as an NBA title threat. Miami beat the Pacers and Magic to reach the top of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks could only get through the 50-game season with a 27–23 record, barely qualifying for the playoffs as a #8 seed. This put the odds squarely in Miami's favor, as an #8 seed had defeated a #1 seed in the first round just once in NBA history. However, the Knicks defied expectations and won Game 1 95-75 in Miami. The Heat came back with an 83-73 victory in Game 2 to tie the series at 1. Back in New York for Game 3, the Knicks blew Miami out 97-73 to take a 2-1 series lead. The Knicks had a chance to clinch at home in Game 4. New York held an 8-point lead until the Heat came charging back to win 87-72 to take the series to the limit. Game 5 was a defensive struggle all the way. Miami held a 77-76 lead with 4.5 seconds left, but Knick shooting guard Allan Houston proved to be the hero, as he hit a running one-hander that bounced off the front rim, off the backboard, and in with 8 tenths left to give New York a 78-77 victory.

The win propelled an improbable run for the Knicks in the playoffs. They swept the Atlanta Hawks in the semifinals and defeated the Indiana Pacers in 6 to clinch their second Eastern Conference Championship in five years and advance to the 1999 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Spurs. In doing that, the Knicks became the first eighth-seeded team in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals.

2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals

While the Heat would win the Atlantic Division for the fourth year in a row, the Knicks would be right on their tail, finishing only two games back and capturing the third seed in the conference. The two teams met again in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, in what would be the most evenly matched of all 4 series. The Heat won Game 1 87-83 at home to take a 1-0 series lead, but the Knicks promptly tied the series at 1 with a 82-76 victory in Game 2. Game 3 in New York was one of the series' most notable. Patrick Ewing hit a jumper with just over 2 seconds left to force OT. He also made 1 of 2 free throws in the final seconds of OT to give the Knicks a 76-75 lead. On Miami's final possession, rookie Anthony Carter drove from the baseline and launched a difficult and maybe illegal shot from behind the backboard. The shot dropped onto the front rim and fell in with 2.1 seconds left. After a referee's conference, they ruled the basket counted, despite protests from the Knicks. The shot won the game for Miami 77-76. The Knicks then won Game 4 91-83 on Charlie Ward's 21 points to tie the series at 2.

Back in Miami for Game 5, the Heat came from behind with a sequence of 3-pointers in the final two minutes (two from Dan Majerle and the final one from Bruce Bowen), and won 87-81. Miami had a chance to clinch the series in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden, but blew a 45-30 halftime lead. New York cut it to 6 in the first 3 minutes of the 3rd quarter. Ewing made a difficult tip-dunk off a missed jumpshot to cut the lead to 2 with 2 minutes left. Allan Houston hit 2 free throws with 22 seconds left to give the Knicks a 72-70 lead. Anthony Carter missed a 3 at the buzzer that would have won the series. In a press conference at the game, Pat Riley remarked, "This is absolute madness."

In yet another Game 7, the Heat took an 11-point lead in the first half, before the Knicks rallied to make the game close in the final minutes. Heat point guard Tim Hardaway gave Miami a 82-81 lead when he drained a 3 with 1:32 left. The Knicks responded when Ewing beat Mourning on the baseline for a dunk with just over a minute left for an 83-82 lead. The Heat had a chance in the final seconds to reclaim the lead, but Heat forward Clarence Weatherspoon missed a jumper with 7 seconds left, giving the Knicks another playoff series victory over Miami. The Knicks advanced to an Eastern Conference Finals rematch with the Pacers, but this time Indiana won the series in 6 to advance to the NBA Finals.

Memorable regular season contests

In the April 12, 1997 game in Miami, the Knicks led by 3 in the final minute when Miami guard Sasha Danilovic made what appeared to be a 3-pointer to tie the game. However, referees ruled that Danilovic's foot was on the line, and ruled the basket only a 2-pointer. Replays showed that the call was correct, but also very close. The Knicks went on to win the game by 1. Although the Knicks put pressure on the Heat with the victory, Miami hung on and won the Atlantic Division by 4 games.

In the Easter Sunday game in Miami on April 12, 1998, the Knicks trailed 82-81 with 4.2 seconds left and the ball at half-court. Terry Cummings received an inbounds pass and shot a short leaner on the baseline that hit the rim and bounced away. Several tips ensued from players on both teams positioned by the basket. The sequence ended when Allan Houston tipped the ball in at the buzzer for an apparent game-winner, however the referees ruled it to be after the buzzer and awarded the game to Miami. Replays later ruled that Houston last touched the ball with 0.2 seconds left and the basket should have counted. Jeff Van Gundy and the Knicks protested the game's outcome, but were denied by the league office.

In the April 25, 1999 game in Miami, the Heat took a 20-point lead on the Knicks in the first half and maintained it well into the 2nd half. The game entered the 4th quarter with Miami still up by 16, but the Knicks came back, outscoring the Heat 34-16 in the final quarter to win 82-80 and help jump-start the slumping Knicks, who were only 22-21 at this time, to a final surge which would lead to them capturing the #8 seed in the playoffs and eventually defeat top-seeded Miami in the first round that year.

In the April 9, 2000 game in Miami, a hotly contested game was sent to overtime due to a sequence in which center Patrick Ewing grabbed three offensive rebounds off missed Knick 3-pointers before finally finding point guard Chris Childs who connected on a 3 with only seconds left, tying the game. Miami was unable to score, hence the overtime. In the extra session, Childs was in the spotlight again. With the Knicks leading 93-92, Childs was intentionally fouled by the Heat and sent to the free throw line. He made only one to give New York a 94-92 lead. The Heat had 4.5 seconds left to inbound from half-court and score. The ball went to point guard Tim Hardaway, who could not shake free from Childs. He ended up forcing a 3 from an awkward angle with Childs covering him tightly. The shot improbably went in at the buzzer, giving Miami a bedlam-inducing 95-94 win. This game was seen as the game in which the Heat pulled away for the race for 1st in the Atlantic Division.

After the rivalry

In recent years, this rivalry has been greatly weakened, with the recent struggles of the Knicks and the turnover of the Heat to a new crop of players and transformation into title winners. However, in its prime this rivalry was very physical and marked by low-scoring, defensive-oriented affairs, with players on both teams giving their best effort in every game.

However, some notable games between the Heat and Knicks have taken place in recent years.

On March 15, 2005, Heat guard Dwyane Wade hit the game-winner at the buzzer against the Knicks in New York to beat them 98–96.

On January 26, 2007, Knicks guard Jamal Crawford scored a career-high 52 points on 20-30 shooting, including 8 3-pointers, against the Heat en route to a 116–96 victory for New York.

On February 28, 2009, Dwyane Wade scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Heat overcome a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat the Knicks 120–115. Wade's late-game heroics were catalyzed by some rough-housing at the hands of Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari, who accidentally elbowed Wade in the face, causing his lip to bleed without a foul being called. Then Al Harrington knocked down Wade while trying to go to the rim.

On April 12, 2009, Dwyane Wade scored a career-high 55 points against the Knicks at the American Airlines Arena. His performance was one point shy of the Miami Heat record set by Glen Rice's 56-point outburst against the Orlando Magic on April 15, 1995.

On July 8, 2010, LeBron James made his decision to join the Heat, when much speculation had been that he would sign with the Knicks. The Knicks had spent the last two seasons re-engineering their roster to accommodate James' potential contract.

On December 17, 2010, Amar'e Stoudemire and the Knicks went head-to-head in their first meeting against the Heat along with the Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) in a 113–91 loss against the Heat in Madison Square Garden.

On January 27, 2011 in the third meeting of the season vs. the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, the Heat lost 93–88.

Recently the rivalry has been reignited in light of the Knicks acquisition of All-Star Small Forward Carmelo Anthony in a three team trade involving the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. On February 27, 2011, The Knicks faced the Heat at Miami for the first time since acquiring Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups and won 91–86.

With the arrival of Jeremy Lin and the resurgence of the Knicks, the Knicks-Heat game of the 2011–12 NBA season scheduled prior to the All-Star break (the last game for both teams before the break) was billed as giving the rivalry new life, with the average price of resold seats going for $600 and courtside seats going for $8,000.

Notes

In all 4 playoff series, Miami had home-court advantage. Also, the winner of each series wasn't decided until the waning moments of each final game, with both teams playing all 24 possible playoff games against one another over the 4-year span (in '98 and '99 the first-round was only best-of-5 at the time).

A side note to this fierce and bitter rivalry is that the two best players, Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing, were actually close friends off the court and managed to keep their friendship strong throughout the rivalry, often having dinner together after every game. Mourning admitted it was difficult to remain friendly during this time in which he frequently lost to his friend/mentor, Ewing.

Much of the rivalry's passion can be attributed to the number of transplanted New Yorkers who live in South Florida and who nonetheless hold an allegiance to their hometown. This usually results in crowds with disproportionate numbers of fans cheering for the visitors (compared to the partisanship seen in most other home venues). This also applies to a certain extent to other New York/Miami rivalries, such as the ones between the NFL's Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, the NHL's Florida Panthers and New York Rangers and Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins and New York Mets, and New York Yankees when the Marlins defeated the Yanks in the 2003 World Series.

Head to head

The results in parentheses denote playoff games.

Season	at Miami Heat Heat-Knicks	at New York Knicks Knicks-Heat	Total Heat-Knicks
1988-89	107-103	132-123	1-1
1989-90	94-100, 128-121, 90-106	119-99, 116-107, 119-102	1-5
1990-91	94-104, 107-86, 92-108	109-90, 125-121,	1-4
1991-92	107-93, 102-104	98-81, 122-91, 105-88	1-4
1992-93	105-108, 107-123, 97-109	91-87, 104-82	0-5
1993-94	96-85, 100-86	119-87, 110-87	2-2
1994-95	95-104, 87-96	111-122, 100-91, 112-99	1-4
1995-96	79-88, 103-95	89-70, 94-85	1-3
1996-97	85-103, 99-100 (79-88, 88-84, 96-81, 101-90)	75-99, 95-89 (77-73, 89-76, 90-95)	1-3 (4-3)
1997-98	86-82, 82-81 (94-79, 86-96, 81-98)	89-83, 83-80 (85-91, 90-85)	2-2 (2-3)
1998-99	85-84, 80-82 (75-95, 83-73, 77-78)	79-83, 101-88 (97-73, 72-87)	2-2 (2-3)
1999-00	85-76, 95-94 (87-83, 76-82, 87-81, 82-83)	88-94, 94-80 (76-77, 91-83, 72-70)	3-1 (3-4)
2000-01	100-103, 81-76	81-84, 76-74, 86-83	2-3
2001-02	100-86, 67-94	83-74, 83-94	2-2
2002-03	92-97, 82-80	84-92, 72-65	2-2
2003-04	80-100, 64-76	102-73, 77-85	1-3
2004-05	102-94, 97-82	110-116, 96-98	4-0
2005-06	107-94	83-103, 100-111	3-0
2006-07	76-100, 101-83	116-96, 99-93	1-3
2007-08	88-84, 88-91	72-75, 103-96	2-2
2008-09	120-115, 122-105	120-115	2-1
2009-10	115-93	87-93, 98-111	3-0
2010-11	106-98, 86-91	91-113, 93-88	2-2
2011-12	99-89, 102-88		2-0

Statistics

	Miami Heat	New York Knicks
Total wins	53	67
At Miami Heat	33	29
At New York Knicks	20	38
Regular season wins	42	54
At Miami Heat	26	22
At New York Knicks	16	32
Playoff wins	11	13
At Miami Heat	7	7
At New York Knicks	4	6

See also

• National Basketball Association rivalries