1996–97 Miami Heat season

1996–97 Miami Heat season
Division champions
Head coach	Pat Riley
Arena	Miami Arena
Results
Record	61–21 (.744)
Place	Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Conference Finals (Eliminated 1–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	Sunshine Network, WBFS
Radio	WIOD

The 1996–97 NBA season was the ninth season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Heat signed free agents Dan Majerle and P.J. Brown. The team also signed All-Star forward Juwan Howard to a 7-year $100 million contract, but was voided by the league claiming that Miami exceeded their salary cap. Howard then quickly re-signed with the Washington Bullets.

Tim Hardaway had a career season with the Heat as he led the team in scoring with 20.3 points per game, and was selected along with Alonzo Mourning for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, although Mourning did not play due to injury. Hardaway finished fourth in MVP voting behind Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Grant Hill. On the defensive side, Mourning and Brown provided leadership, while on the offensive side Jamal Mashburn, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks at midseason gave the team a spark. The club also had a group of role players led by newly acquired free agent Isaac Austin, who was honored with the NBA Most Improved Player Award. The Heat won their first Division title with a record of 61 wins and 21 losses, which stood as the franchise mark until the 2012–13 season. Head coach Pat Riley was named Coach of The Year.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Heat won their first ever playoff series by defeating the Orlando Magic in five games. In the semifinals, they defeated the New York Knicks in a full seven game series after trailing 3–1. However, they would lose in five games to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Off-season

NBA draft

Main article: 1996 NBA draft

The Heat did not have any draft picks in 1996.

Roster

Miami Heat roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SF 35 Anderson, Willie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Georgia SF 2 Askins, Keith 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 197 lb (89 kg) Alabama C 8 Austin, Isaac 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Arizona State SF 3 Bowen, Bruce 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Cal State Fullerton PF 42 Brown, P. J. 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Louisiana Tech PG 11 Crotty, John 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Virginia C 22 Fish, Matt 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) UNC Wilmington PG 23 Grant, Gary 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Michigan PG 10 Hardaway, Tim 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) UTEP SG 21 Lenard, Voshon 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Minnesota SG 9 Majerle, Dan 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Central Michigan SF 24 Mashburn, Jamal 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Kentucky C 33 Mourning, Alonzo 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Georgetown PF 31 Muursepp, Martin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Estonia PF 54 Pinckney, Ed 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Villanova PF 30 Strickland, Mark 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Temple

Head coach Pat Riley (Kentucky) Assistant coach(es) Jeff Bzdelik (UIC) Tony Fiorentino (Dowling College) Bob McAdoo (North Carolina) Scotty Robertson (Louisiana Tech) Stan Van Gundy (SUNY–Brockport) Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Miami Heat	61	21	.744	–	29–12	32–9	16–8
x-New York Knicks	57	25	.695	4	31–10	26–15	19–6
x-Orlando Magic	45	37	.549	16	26–15	19–22	13–11
x-Washington Bullets	44	38	.537	17	25–16	19–22	14–10
New Jersey Nets	26	56	.317	35	16–25	10–31	11–13
Philadelphia 76ers	22	60	.268	39	11–30	11–30	11–14
Boston Celtics	15	67	.183	46	11–30	4–37	1–23

1996–97 NBA East standings

#	Eastern Conference
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-Chicago Bulls	69	13	.841	–
2	y-Miami Heat	61	21	.744	8
3	x-New York Knicks	57	25	.695	12
4	x-Atlanta Hawks	56	26	.683	13
5	x-Detroit Pistons	54	28	.659	15
6	x-Charlotte Hornets	54	28	.659	15
7	x-Orlando Magic	45	37	.549	24
8	x-Washington Bullets	44	38	.537	25
9	Cleveland Cavaliers	42	40	.512	27
10	Indiana Pacers	39	43	.476	30
11	Milwaukee Bucks	33	49	.402	36
12	Toronto Raptors	30	52	.366	39
13	New Jersey Nets	26	56	.317	43
14	Philadelphia 76ers	22	60	.268	47
15	Boston Celtics	15	67	.183	54

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1996-97 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	TOR	UTA	VAN	WAS
Atlanta	—	3–1	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	1–2	4–0	2–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–1
Boston	1–3	—	0–4	0–4	1–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	1–1	0–2	1–2	0–2	1–1	0–4	1–3	0–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	3–1	0–2	0–2	0–4
Charlotte	3–1	4–0	—	0–4	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	1–2	2–2	2–0	4–0	3–1	1–2	4–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–2	0–2	2–0	3–1
Chicago	3–1	4–0	4–0	—	3–1	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	4–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	4–0	2–0	3–1	2–2	3–0	4–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–1
Cleveland	1–3	2–1	1–3	1–3	—	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–2	2–0	4–0	1–3	2–2	3–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	2–0	1–3
Dallas	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	—	3–1	0–2	0–4	0–4	1–1	2–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	1–3	3–1	0–2
Denver	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–3	—	0–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	1–3	0–4	0–2	1–1	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–1	0–4	3–1	1–1
Detroit	3–1	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–0	—	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	0–4	3–1	2–0	4–0	1–2	2–2	2–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	4–0
Golden State	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	4–0	3–1	0–2	—	0–4	1–1	1–3	0–4	0–2	1–1	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–0	0–4	2–2	1–3	4–0	0–4	2–0	0–4	3–1	0–2
Houston	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–0	4–0	3–1	1–1	4–0	—	1–1	3–1	3–1	0–2	1–1	4–0	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–2	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–2	3–1	2–0
Indiana	1–3	2–1	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–1	2–0	1–3	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–2	1–3	1–3	3–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	1–3
L.A. Clippers	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	3–1	0–2	3–1	1–3	0–2	—	2–2	0–2	2–0	1–3	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–2	0–4	2–2	4–0	1–3	2–0	1–3	4–0	0–2
L.A. Lakers	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	4–0	1–1	4–0	1–3	1–1	2–2	—	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	4–0	1–3	4–0	2–2	3–1	1–1	1–3	4–0	2–0
Miami	2–1	4–0	2–1	2–2	4–0	2–0	2–0	4–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	—	4–0	1–1	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–1	0–2	2–0	3–1
Milwaukee	0–4	3–1	2–2	0–4	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	—	0–2	2–1	1–2	2–2	3–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	1–3
Minnesota	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–1	4–0	0–2	3–1	0–4	0–2	3–1	1–3	1–1	2–0	—	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	0–4	4–0	0–4	1–1	1–3	4–0	1–1
New Jersey	1–3	4–0	0–4	1–3	0–4	1–1	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–2	0–2	—	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–3	0–2	2–0	1–3
New York	3–1	4–0	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–1	1–1	2–2	—	3–1	3–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–0	1–1	2–0	4–0
Orlando	1–3	4–0	2–1	0–3	2–2	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	2–0	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	3–1	1–3	—	2–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	0–2	1–1	1–3
Philadelphia	0–4	3–1	0–4	0–4	0–3	0–2	1–1	1–2	0–2	0–2	0–3	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–3	1–1	2–2	2–3	2–2	—	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	0–2	2–0	1–3
Phoenix	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–1	2–2	0–4	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	—	1–3	4–0	3–1	2–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	1–1
Portland	0–2	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	4–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–1	—	2–2	4–0	1–3	0–2	2–2	4–0	0–2
Sacramento	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–2	1–1	3–1	0–4	1–1	2–2	0–4	0–2	2–0	4–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	0–4	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	1–1	0–4	4–0	0–2
San Antonio	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	3–1	2–2	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–1	0–4	2–2	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–4	1–3	—	0–4	1–1	1–3	1–3	0–2
Seattle	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	2–0	3–1	4–0	1–1	4–0	1–3	1–1	3–1	1–3	2–0	1–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	—	2–0	1–3	4–0	2–0
Toronto	0–4	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–0	1–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–3	1–1	3–0	0–3	0–4	3–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	—	1–1	1–1	2–2
Utah	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	4–0	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–2	4–0	3–1	3–1	1–1	—	4–0	2–0
Vancouver	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	0–4	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	3–1	0–4	1–1	0–4	—	1–1
Washington	1–2	4–0	1–3	1–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–0	0–2	3–1	2–0	0–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	3–1	0–4	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	0–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	—

Schedule

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Heat points	Opponents	Record	Streak	Notes
1

Playoffs

In the first round of the playoffs, the Heat confronted their in-state rivals, the Orlando Magic. The Heat won the first two games. In Orlando, the Magic defeated the Heat to force a fifth game. The Heat won the decisive Game 5 at home, 91–83. Winning their first ever playoff series. In the following round, the Heat were matched up against Pat Riley's former team, the New York Knicks. After the first four games, the Knicks had a 3–1 series lead. The Heat won Game 5 although the game was remembered for P. J. Brown fighting with Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward. Some Knicks players came off the bench and earned automatic suspensions, and Brown was suspended for the rest of the series. The Heat players stayed on the bench and gained an advantage for the rest of the series. The Heat eliminated the undermanned Knicks in seven games and one of the most heated rivalries in the NBA was born. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat were vanquished by the eventual world champion Chicago Bulls in five games.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Orlando Magic – Last Playoff meeting: Not available (first playoff series)

Game	Date	Home	Score	Visitor	Score	Record (MIA–ORL)	Venue	Recap	Television
1	April 24	Miami	99	Orlando	64	1–0	Miami Arena, Miami	1
2	April 27	Miami	104	Orlando	87	2–0	Miami Arena, Miami, Florida	2	NBC
3	April 29	Orlando	88	Miami	75	2–1	Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida	3	TBS
4	May 1	Orlando	99	Miami	91	2–2	Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida	4	TNT
5	May 4	Miami	91	Orlando	83	3–2	Miami Arena, Miami, Florida	5	NBC
Miami wins series 3–2

Eastern Conference Semifinals

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) New York Knicks – Last Playoff meeting: Not available (first playoff series)

Game	Date	Home	Score	Visitor	Score	Record (MIA–NYK)	Venue	Recap	Television
1	May 7	Miami	79	New York	88	0-1	Miami Arena, Miami, Florida	1	TNT
2	May 9	Miami	88	New York	84	1-1	Miami Arena, Miami, Florida	2	TNT
3	May 11	New York	77	Miami	73	1-2	Madison Square Garden, New York City	3	NBC
4	May 12	New York	89	Miami	76	1-3	Madison Square Garden, New York	4	TNT
5	May 14	Miami	96	New York	81	2-3	Miami Arena, Miami, Florida	5	TNT
6	May 16	New York	90	Miami	95	3-3	Madison Square Garden, New York	6	TNT
7	May 18	Miami	101	New York	90	4-3	Miami Arena, Miami, Florida	7	NBC
Miami wins series 4–3

Eastern Conference Finals

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (2) Miami Heat – Last Playoff meeting: 1996 Eastern Conference First Round (Chicago won 3–0)

Game	Date	Home	Score	Visitor	Score	Record (CHI–MIA)	Venue	Recap	Television
1	May 20	Chicago	84	Miami	77	1–0	United Center, Chicago, Illinois	1	TNT
2	May 22	Chicago	75	Miami	68	2–0	United Center, Chicago, Illinois	2	TNT
3	May 24	Miami	74	Chicago	98	3–0	Miami Arena, Miami	3	NBC
4	May 26	Miami	87	Chicago	80	3–1	Miami Arena, Miami, Florida	4	NBC
5	May 28	Chicago	100	Miami	87	4–1	United Center, Chicago, Illinois	5	NBC
Chicago wins series 4–1

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Awards

• Tim Hardaway, All NBA First Team
• P. J. Brown, All NBA Defensive Second Team
• Pat Riley, Coach of the Year
• Isaac Austin, NBA Most Improved Player Award

External links

• Heat on Database Basketball
• Heat on Basketball Reference