Knick 'em in the Knees

There was a time, in the Nineties, when the Miami Heat and New York Knicks were the biggest rivals in the NBA. Of course, most of their games were brutal, physical, low-scoring affairs, which usually ended with a Knicks player flipping the bird at Heat fans, or a Knicks coach...

By Chris Joseph

December 16, 2010

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There was a time, in the Nineties, when the Miami Heat and New York Knicks were the biggest rivals in the NBA. Of course, most of their games were brutal, physical, low-scoring affairs, which usually ended with a Knicks player flipping the bird at Heat fans, or a Knicks coach dangling on Alonzo Mourning’s leg like a flaccid monkey as he tried to stop a brawl. However, the rivalry kind of took a hit in the years that followed. The Knicks took a nosedive into mediocrity, and the Heat went on to draft Dwyane Wade, sign Shaq, and win an NBA title. But this Tuesday, we could see the rebirth of one of the most venomous rivalries in the league when the two teams meet at the American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). The Knicks, led by a suddenly rejuvenated Amare Stoudemire, are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, while the Heat and it’s big three — Wade, LeBron and Bosh — have turned things around and are crushing opponents’ skulls on a nightly basis. So, unlike those games in the Nineties, this new rivalry should be a high-octane, high-scoring affair. Expect fireworks this Tuesday when the two adversaries battle for bragging rights in a new chapter of their infamous enmity.
Tue., Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m., 2010

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