The NBA is full of rivalries between teams, and one of the most well known rivalries is between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. This rivalry may have been short-lived, but it was a very fiery rivalry at the time.

This rivalry all stems down from when coach Pat Riley changed teams. Then the New York Knicks and Miami Heat faced one another in the NBA playoffs for four years in a row, which was very unheard of. These two teams still face one another today, so you should keep an eye out for New York Knicks and Miami Heat odds.

In this article, we will discuss more about this fierce rivalry.

Origins Of The Knicks Vs Heat Rivalry

Pat Riley was appointed as the New York Knicks head coach for the 1992 season. In a short period of time, he transformed the Knicks, culminating in an Eastern Conference title in 1994 before Houston defeated them in the 1994 NBA Finals. This prevented the Knicks from winning both the NBA and NHL championships in the same year.

Riley left his position as the Knicks' head coach after failing to duplicate a trip to the finals in 1995. Many speculated at the time that he considered the Knicks were no longer a title contender and wanted to move on.

On September 2, 1995, Riley assumed the roles of Team President and Head Coach of the Miami Heat. The Knicks claimed Miami tampered with his contract while he was still under it. Then, the Heat's defeat of the Knicks' 15-game winning run in 1994 was the last major event between the clubs prior to the start of the rivalry.

1997 To 2000 Playoffs

For four years straight, these two teams faced one another. No NBA teams had ever faced off in the playoffs for four straight seasons, with every series going the full number of games, before the 1997 NBA Playoffs.

Pat Riley, a previous coach of both teams and the focal point of the rivalry, is credited with the aggressive tone of those four series, defensive issues accentuated by multiple foul calls, and fiercely physical play. During its brief existence, this rivalry from the 1990s produced some of the most eagerly awaited matches.

Check out FanDuel NBA odds for the upcoming games between the Knicks and Heats

1997 Semi Finals

In the Eastern Conference Semifinals of 1997, the second seeds Miami Heat beat the third-seeded New York Knicks.

Despite Miami having the home-court advantage, the Knicks immediately took a 3-1 series lead. The Heat went on to win the next three games of the series to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals under the leadership of center Alonzo Mourning and point guard Tim Hardaway.

1998 First Round

With Patrick Ewing out for the majority of the season, the Knicks won the seventh seed in 1998. While the Heat earned the second seed for the second consecutive season.

The Heat appeared poised to defeat the Knicks once more, but it was in vain. Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson got into a memorable fight in Game 4, which resulted with both players receiving game-five suspensions. On the Miami Heat's home court, the Knicks triumphed 98-81.

1999 First Round

The Knicks just made the playoffs with their eighth seed, while the Miami Heat qualified as the top seed in the East. The Knicks nonetheless managed to defeat the Heat in five games, just like the year before.

2000 Semifinals

The Knicks were a far superior team in 2000 than they were in 1999. While, the Heat lost this series by throwing large lead after big lead.

Latrell Sprewell, a small forward for the Knicks, led the way in the decisive Game 7 with 24 points and five rebounds. The Rivalry Weakened.

The following years, following the 2000 playoffs, the rivalry between the two teams weakened. In these years, the two teams still faced another, but the hype around the rivalry wasn't what it used to be.

Both teams changed players and coaches, and the Knick's success began to falter, while the Miami Heat started to see more victories.

2012: The End Of The Rivalry

The Heat are the second seed and the Knicks are the seventh seed at the end of the 2011–2012 season. Thus, excitement for the first playoff game in 12 years began to grow. In the next-to-last game of the regular season, Knicks supporters began yelling “Beat the Heat” at Madison Square Garden.

It was finally determined that the two teams would face off in the opening round of the 2012 playoffs following a Knicks' victory in the season's final game. This rivalry was attempted to be hyped up by the media, but it was unsuccessful, thus putting a stop to the idea of rivalry after the 1999 season.

Conclusion

The rivalry between the New York Knicks and Miami Heats has been strong since the 1990s. This was all caused by Pat Riley changing from the coach of the Knicks to the Heats. This rivalry is no longer as fierce as it used to be, but fans still enjoy seeing these two teams play off against one another.