Knicks-Heat rivalry - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Miami Heat-New York Knicks

History
Post Season Meetings	13–11 (NYK)
1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1997 NBA Playoffs The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...	Heat won, 4–3
1998 Eastern Conference First Round 1998 NBA Playoffs The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...	Knicks won, 3–2
1999 Eastern Conference First Round 1999 NBA Playoffs The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...	Knicks won, 3–2
2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2000 NBA Playoffs The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...	Knicks won, 4–3

The Heat-Knicks rivalry was a rivalry between two professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

teams, the Miami Heat

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...

and the New York Knicks

New York Knicks

The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

, of the NBA

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

.

Known as one of the fiercest rivalries in recent history, the Heat-Knicks rivalry was derived from their frequent, and frequently long, playoff

NBA Playoffs

The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...

series. In a SI

Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

countdown, it was listed as the NBA's third best rivalry. Prior to their rivalry, there had never been an occasion in the NBA wherein two teams had met in postseason play four consecutive seasons and had seen each series extend to the maximum number of games in each of the four series. The Knicks and Heat thus made history by meeting in the playoffs for the maximum number of games every year from 1997-2000

1999-2000 NBA season

-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...

. 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

Pat Riley

Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...

, former coach of both teams and the central figure of the rivalry.

Background

On March 1, 1991 Dave Checketts was named New York Knicks

New York Knicks

team president, and he hired Pat Riley as head coach for the 1991-92 season

1991-92 NBA season

-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...

. After years as bottom-dwellers and also-rans, Riley turned the Knicks into legitimate title contenders in a short time, culminating with an Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference (NBA)

The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...

Championship in 1994

1993-94 NBA season

-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets*Rookie of the Year: Chris Webber, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...

before an eventual loss to the Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...

in the NBA Finals

1994 NBA Finals

The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1993–94 National Basketball Association season, featuring the Western Conference's Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference's New York Knicks....

that year, which denied New York from having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year, as the Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

had won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals

1994 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...

over the Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

during the finals.

Unable to repeat a trip to the Finals in 1995, Riley stepped down as the head coach of the Knicks. 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

1995-96 NBA season

The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association , although the league didn't celebrate this anniversary until the following season...

, when he took over as Team President and Head Coach of the underachieving Miami Heat

Miami Heat

. The Heat and the 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

Walter McCarty

Walter Lee McCarty is an American former basketball player who played for the NBA's New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers....

) 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 New York 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. The Knicks raced out to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, needing only one victory in the final three games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in five seasons. Patrick Ewing's emphatic dunk over Alonzo Mourning iced Game 1, which the Knicks won 88-79. Jamal Mashburn's 3-pointer put Game 2 out of reach. With the 88-84 victory, Miami tied the series at 1. In Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, Patrick Ewing made a key play. He came out to the 3-point line to block a potential game-tying 3 from Tim Hardaway and then secured the loose ball. The Knicks won that game 77-73. In Game 4, the Knicks won 89-76, dominating the game 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

BRAWL

Brawl is a real-time card game designed by James Ernest and released in 1999 by Cheapass Games.-Gameplay:Like Spit or Icehouse, players in Brawl do not take turns, instead either making a move or staying inactive as best suits their strategy at that moment...

between the two teams that started when Heat power forward

Power forward (basketball)

Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...

P.J. Brown objected to Knick point guard

Point guard

Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...

Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward, Jr. is a retired American professional NBA basketball player, college football Heisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Award winner and a Major League Baseball draftee. Ward is considered one of the best all-around athletes in the last quarter century...

'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 Knick team many considered prime to dethrone Chicago. Of course, this is up for debate, since many observers questioned why Ward dived toward Brown's legs (Also worth noting is the fact that Brown's much taller than Ward) with the game out of reach in the first place. During the brawl, Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing

Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...

, Allan Houston

Allan Houston

Allan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire...

, Larry Johnson and John Starks

John Starks (basketball)

John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...

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 the last 2 games (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, meanwhile, regressed somewhat (largely due to a severely broken wrist suffered by Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing

early in the season, which forced him to miss the remainder of the regular season) and could only attain the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. With the Bulls again gaining the #1 seed in the conference, the Heat were paired against the Knicks in a rematch of their series the year before. This occurred in the First Round of the 1998 NBA Playoffs

1998 NBA Playoffs

The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...

, which at the time was a best-of-5 series. The Heat won Game 1 94-79. The Knicks bounced back and won Game 2 96-86 to tie the series at 1. Miami won Game 3 91-85 though, and took a 2-1 series lead. The Knicks won Game 4 90-85, which was highlighted by the fight between Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....

and Larry Johnson at the end of the game (ironically, they were formerly teammates with the Charlotte Hornets). Although neither one of them landed a punch despite their best intentions, the fight famously saw Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy

Jeff Van Gundy

Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...

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-point attempts until with over 6 minutes left, the Heat only trailed by 2, 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 Charlie Ward steal and layup, a dunk by Allan Houston, and then a fast-break layup by Charles Oakley, on which he was fouled from behind and fell into the stands (this was ruled a flagrant foul, meaning the Knicks shot free throws and kept possession of the ball). On the extra possession, John Starks hit a 3 that extended the Knicks' lead back up to 13. Miami wouldn't challenge the Knicks the rest of the way, as the Knicks won the game and the series with a 98-81 victory in Miami. The Knicks then lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...

in 5 games.

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

Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

's retirement saw the Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

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 the Heat's favor, as only once in NBA history had a #8 seed defeated a #1 seed in the first round. However, the Knicks attempted to defy expectations and took 2 of the first 3 games, including a 20-point blowout in Game 1 and a 24-point victory in Game 3, with a chance to win the series at home in Game 4. The Knicks held an 8-point lead in that game until the Heat came charging back to win 87-72 and set up a decisive 5th game. Game 5 was a defensive struggle all the way, but Miami held a 77-76 lead with 4.5 seconds left. Knick shooting guard

Shooting guard

The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...

Allan Houston

proved to be the hero of the deciding game, as he hit a running one-hander that indecisively bounced on the rim before falling with 0.8 seconds in play to give New York a 78-77 victory.

The win propelled an improbable run

Cinderella (sports)

In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...

for the Knicks in the playoffs. They swept the Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...

in the semifinals and defeated the Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...

in six games to clinch their second Eastern Conference Championship in five years and advance to the NBA Finals

1999 NBA Finals

The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage...

, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....

. 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 2000 playoffs, in what would be the most evenly matched of all four series. The teams split the first four games, of which Game 3 in New York was most notable. Patrick Ewing converted a jump shot with just over 2 seconds remaining to force overtime. Ewing also made one of two free throws in the final seconds of overtime to give the Knicks a one-point lead. On Miami's final possession, rookie Anthony Carter

Anthony Carter

Anthony Bernard Carter is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks.-Early life:...

drove from the baseline and launched a difficult and perhaps illegal shot from behind the backboard. The shot dropped onto the front rim and fell in with 2.1 seconds remaining. After a referee's conference, they ruled the basket counted, despite protests from the Knicks. The shot turned out to be the game-winner. The Knicks would tie the series in Game 4 on Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward

's surprising 21 points and a raucous Garden crowd chanting "Char-lie, Char-lie."

Back in Miami for Game 5, the Heat came from behind with a sequence of three-pointers in the final two minutes (two from Dan Majerle

Dan Majerle

Daniel Lewis Majerle is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Known by his fans as "Downtown Dan," "Thunder Dan," and "Dan the Man," he played 14 years in the NBA, primarily with the Phoenix Suns, also with the Miami...

and the final one from Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'7", 200-lb. Bowen played small forward and graduated from Edison High School and Cal State Fullerton...

), and won the game 87-81. Miami had a chance to clinch the series in game six at Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

, but blew a 45-30 halftime lead. This 15-point lead was cut to 6 in the first 3 minutes of the 3rd quarter. Patrick Ewing made a difficult follow-dunk off a missed jumpshot to cut the lead to 2 with 2 minutes left in the game. Allan Houston hit two free throws with 22 seconds remaining 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 winner-take-all game, 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

Point guard

Tim Hardaway

Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...

gave Miami a 82-81 lead when he drained a 3

Three-point field goal

A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...

with 1:32 left. The Knicks responded when Patrick Ewing beat Alonzo Mourning on the baseline for a dunk with just over a minute remaining for an 83-82 lead. The Heat had a chance in the final seconds to reclaim the lead, but Heat forward Clarence Weatherspoon

Clarence Weatherspoon

Clarence Weatherspoon, Sr. is a former American professional basketball player in the NBA.After a college career at the University of Southern Mississippi, Weatherspoon was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the ninth pick in the 1992 NBA Draft...

missed a jump shot 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 would win the series in 6 to advance to the NBA Finals

2000 NBA Finals

The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1999-2000 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Indiana Pacers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage...

Memorable regular season contests

In an April 12 game played in Miami in 1997, the Knicks led by 3 in the final minute when Miami guard Sasha Danilovic made what appeared to be a three pointer to tie the game, however referees ruled that Danilovic's foot was on the three point line, and ruled the basket only a two pointer. Replays showed the call was in fact correct, but also very close. The Knicks went on to win the game by 1 point. Although they were putting pressure on the Heat with the victory, Miami was able to hang on and win the Atlantic Division by 4 games.

In an Easter Sunday game played in Miami on April 12, 1998, the Knicks trailed by one point with 4.2 seconds remaining and the ball at half-court. Terry Cummings

Terry Cummings

Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association for 18 seasons as a power forward and occasional center.-College and NBA years:...

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

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 by the score of 82-81. Replays later ruled that Houston last touched the ball with 0.2 seconds remaining and the basket should have counted. Jeff Van Gundy

Jeff Van Gundy

Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...

and the Knicks protested the game's outcome but were denied by the league office.

In an April 25 game played in Miami in 1999, 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 an April 9 game played in Miami in 2000, a hotly contested game was sent to overtime due to a sequence in which center Patrick Ewing grabbed three offensive rebounds off missed Knick three pointers before finally finding point guard Chris Childs

Chris Childs (basketball)

Chris Childs is a retired American professional basketball player, who played primarily at the guard position....

who connected on a three point attempt 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 had been intentionally fouled by the Heat and sent to the free throw line. He made only one of two free throws, making the lead 94-92. The Heat now had 4.5 seconds remaining to inbound from half court and score. The ball went to point guard Tim Hardaway, who could not shake free from Chris Childs. Hardaway 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 from the Knicks 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 franchise and the turnover of the Miami 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 efforts in every game.

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

On March 15, 2005, Heat guard Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...

hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer against the Knicks in New York to beat them 98–96.

On January 26, 2007, Knicks guard Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He is a 6'5" and 200 lb shooting guard–point guard...

scored a career-high 52 points on 20 of 30 shooting, including 8 three-pointers, against the Miami 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

Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari is an Italian professional basketball player with Olimpia Milano of the Italian basketball league. He is also under contract with the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, and is expected to return to that team when the 2011 NBA lockout ends. He is 2.08 m in height and 102.1 kg in...

, who accidentally elbowed Wade in the face causing his lip to bleed without a foul being called. Then Al Harrington

Al Harrington

Albert "Al" Harrington is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Denver Nuggets...

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

Glen Rice

Glen Anthony Rice is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. The 6'8" tall Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star guard/forward, ranking 11th in NBA history with 1,559 three-point field goals made during his 15-year career. As a player, Rice won an NCAA Men's Division...

's 56-point outburst against the Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...

on April 15, 1995.

On July 8, 2010, Lebron James

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...

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 New York Knicks went head to head in their first meeting against the Miami Heat along with the Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh

Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....

) in a losing effort of 113–91 against the Heat in Madison Square Garden.

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

Recently the rivalry has been reignited in light of the Knicks acquisition of All-Star Small Forward Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...

in a three team trade involving the Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

and Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...

. 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.

Head to head

The results in parentheses denote playoff games.

Season	at Miami Heat Miami Heat The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... Heat-Knicks	at New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... Knicks-Heat	Total Heat-Knicks
1988-89 1988-89 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles LakersRookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...	107-103	132-123	1-1
1989-90 1989-90 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles LakersRookie of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs*Defensive Player of the Year: Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons...	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 1991-92 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago BullsRookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...	107-93, 102-104	98-81, 122-91, 105-88	1-4
1992-93 1992-93 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:Most Valuable Player: Charles Barkley, Phoenix SunsRookie of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...	105-108, 107-123, 97-109	91-87, 104-82	0-5
1993-94 1993-94 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:Most Valuable Player: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston RocketsRookie of the Year: Chris Webber, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...	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 1995-96 NBA season The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association , although the league didn't celebrate this anniversary until the following season...	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 1997-98 NBA season The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals...	86-82, 82-81 (94-79, 86-96, 81-98)	89-83, 83-80 (85-91, 90-85)	2-2 *(2-3)*
1998-99 1998-99 NBA season The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association . Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999 after a new six year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association...	85-84, 80-82 (75-95, 83-73, 77-78)	79-83, 101-88 (97-73, 72-87)	2-2 *(2-3)*
1999-00 1999-2000 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles LakersCo-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...	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 2001-02 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:Most Valuable Player: Tim Duncan, San Antonio SpursRookie of the Year: Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies*Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons...	100-86, 67-94	83-74, 83-94	2-2
2002-03 2002-03 NBA season The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the 2003 NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...	92-97, 82-80	84-92, 72-65	2-2
2003-04 2003-04 NBA season -Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota TimberwolvesRookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...	80-100, 64-76	102-73, 77-85	1-3
2004-05 2004-05 NBA season The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....	102-94, 97-82	110-116, 96-98	4-0
2005-06 2005-06 NBA season The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...	107-94	83-103, 100-111	3-0
2006-07 2006-07 NBA season The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...	76-100, 101-83	116-96, 99-93	1-3
2007-08 2007-08 NBA season The 2007–08 NBA season was the 62nd season of the National Basketball Association. The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, and ended on Wednesday, April 16, 2008...	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

Statistics

	Miami Heat Miami Heat The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...	New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
Total wins	51	67
At Miami Heat	31	29
At New York Knicks	20	38
Regular season wins	40	54
At Miami Heat	24	22
At New York Knicks	16	32
Playoff wins	11	13
At Miami Heat	7	7
At New York Knicks	4	6

Background

1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals

1998 Eastern Conference First Round

1999 Eastern Conference First Round

2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Memorable regular season contests

After the rivalry

Head to head

Statistics

See also