Heat vs. Knicks: Upcoming Series Info & Rivalry History

When Do the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks Play Next?

Miami Heat tickets and New York Knicks tickets can be found on their respective team pages. Upcoming game information can be found below.

Are the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks Rivals?

Yes, the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks are rivals. Their rivalry stems from the two teams meeting in the NBA playoffs for four consecutive years from 1997 to 2000.

Who Are the Miami Heat’s Biggest Rivals?

Along with the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat are rivals with the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and the Dallas Mavericks. The Miami Heat also have a strong rivalry with the Boston Celtics after multiple playoff matchups.

Read more: Heat vs. Celtics Rivalry History

Who are the New York Knicks’ Biggest Rivals?

Besides the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks are rivals with the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics. The Knicks also have a rivalry with the Chicago Bulls that stems from the Knicks losing five out of six playoff meetings against the Bulls during the Michael Jordan era.

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks Series History

The Miami Heat and the New York Knicks rivalry comes from one word: playoffs. The rivalry started when the teams first played each other in the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals. During game five of the series, with the Knicks up 3–1, P.J. Brown flipped Charlie Ward over his shoulder and smashed him to the ground during a free throw when Miami was up 15 with less than two minutes to go in the game. This caused a massive brawl between both teams. The aftermath of this brawl resulted in multiple suspensions, including star players Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston of the New York Knicks being suspended for one game (both players left the Knicks bench to join the brawl). These suspensions ultimately lead to the Miami Heat winning the next two games to advance in the playoffs.

The rivalry continued into the 1998 playoffs with the two teams meeting in the Eastern Conference First Round. Game four in this series ended in a fist fight between Miami’s Alonzo Mourning and New York’s Larry Johnson. Although no punches were landed, the highlight of the fight was the Knicks’ coach, Jeff Van Gundy, holding onto the leg of Mourning to (unsuccessfully) break up the fight. The Knicks ended up winning the series 3–2. In the 1999 playoffs, the eighth seeded New York Knicks defeated the first seeded Miami Heat in the final seconds of game five during the Eastern Conference First Round. In 2000, the Miami Heat again faced the New York Knicks in the playoffs, and again the series went to the final game with the Knicks overcoming an 11 point lead to defeat the Heat. The series cooled down over the next decade, with no meetings in the playoffs until 2012, when the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, destroyed the Knicks 4 games to 1. The two teams most recently met in the 2023 playoffs, with the Heat winning in six games, 4-2.

Sports Illustrated named the Miami Heat and New York Knicks rivalry one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the NBA.

Where Do the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks Play?

The Miami Heat play in Miami, Florida at what was most recently known as Kaseya Center. Kaseya Center was formerly named FTX Arena and the American Airlines Arena.

Read more: Step Inside Kaseya Center

The New York Knicks play at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Knicks have called Madison Square Garden their home since 1968.

Read more: Step Inside Madison Square Garden

Image courtesy of Miami Heat via Facebook