Heat vs. Knicks: An NBA playoff showdown with a contentious history

The best gifts in sports come in an unexpected fashion. They provide feelings of nostalgia that replay themselves in the minds of fans, triggered by the simple mention of a particular player, coach or team, while also promising intrigue over what’s going to happen next.

For the majority of the last two decades — save a 2013 playoff series win and some Linsanity in between — New York Knicks fans haven’t had many reasons to smile unless it’s due to a resurfaced memory of a past rivalry. The last pure dislike New Yorkers have towards any team in the NBA playoffs? They really don’t need an introduction: It’s the Miami Heat.

That’s what makes Sunday’s Game 1 between these teams at Madison Square Garden carry more weight than your normal Eastern Conference semifinal series. No, Charles Oakley won’t be going after Alonzo Mourning, and Charlie Ward won’t be getting into a fracas with P.J. Brown. We may see Jeff Van Gundy in the broadcast chair at some point, but he won’t be on the floor clinging to Mourning’s leg. And Dick Bavetta won’t be overturning any calls to prompt Miami fans to throw whatever they can find onto the court.

But Pat Riley will still be in the building, and New Yorkers don’t forget betrayals. When the former Knicks head coach left after four seasons to take control of the Heat as president and head coach, he became public enemy No. 1 for turning his back on NYC. To add to the drama, the Knicks received a first-round pick and $1 million from the Heat for the tampering that led to Riley’s poaching.

All of this happened a quarter-century ago, but a rivalry that ruled as the NBA’s best for a half-decade and produced epic postseason moments just doesn’t go away. Before the Knicks and Heat even hit the floor this time around, it’s important to note how they mirror one another in a variety of ways.

Both were doubted and counted out by most entering the postseason — Miami to a greater extent, but there weren’t many expectations around New York either. And these teams didn’t just advance, either — the Knicks and Heat dominated the Cavs and Bucks, respectively, in shockingly commanding fashion. The two head coaches? They’re basketball lifers, with Tom Thibodeau as a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, and Erik Spoelstra a two-time champion. Another thing in common? Both coaches are among the best at getting their guys to play really hard.

Also, while the teams themselves may be constructed in different ways, there’s a gutsy nature imbued in both.

The lead player storyline centers on Jimmy Butler, who’s been the best player in this postseason. Averaging 37.6 points per game on 60% shooting from the floor in the series vs. Milwaukee, the 33-year-old has been the definition of unstoppable. The level that he hit to close out the Bucks in Game 5, scoring all 14 of his fourth-quarter points in the last five minutes of regulation including a game-tying bucket to force OT, was wild. But if anyone on the other side of these playoff matchups knows what he’s about, it’s Thibodeau, who coached Butler when they were with the Chicago Bulls in 2011-15 and with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017-18.

“I know what he’s about, and he knows what we’re about, so let’s go,” Thibodeau told the press Friday.

Yes, even in the world of NBA press conference clichés, Thibs gave a quote that could raise some eyebrows.

The Knicks have a budding star in Jalen Brunson, who has found the best version of himself in New York after a roller coaster ride in Dallas, and just powered the Knicks to the series win over the Cavs by averaging 24 points per game. Brunson has shined under the bright lights of MSG, where he once helped lead Villanova to two Big East Tournament crowns in 2017 and 2018. A big reason for what’s made him feel even more at home? New York’s trade deadline acquisition of Josh Hart, his former college teammate who has come into the organization and fit like a glove. There’s also the unflappable nature of RJ Barrett, who responded to the early hate he received in the Cavs series and bounced back to shift the Knicks into an even more dangerous gear.

That’s seen in this Heat team, which has shown the roster-building strength of Riley & Co. Whether it’s Gabe Vincent dropping 22, or Bam Adebayo holding down the paint, or Kevin Love showcasing why he was a solid, experienced acquisition made by the team in February, Miami has had some originally unlikely sources come up in some major ways for this team, especially with Tyler Herro done for the season with a broken hand.

New York has its own injury concerns with Julius Randle (ankle) dealing with a lingering issue, leaving his status up in the air for Sunday.

But battered and bruised, doubted and told they couldn’t possibly advance, these two teams are fittingly meeting with the right to head to the Eastern Conference finals. It might be a surprise for them to be seeing one another in this spot, but the way both these teams are wired with winning, that’s the furthest thing from anybody’s mind.

In fact, with the way these teams have been constructed, there’s an old-school mentality to them both.

It’s about time the Knicks and Heat write a new chapter. On Sunday, it all comes to life at a place known for elevating anything and everything housed inside it, MSG.

All of that just feels right.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.