especially after reading these two articles that brought it all back to me. :(


http://acmi.canoe.ca/1997NBAFinals/may14_new.html

Tuesday, May 13, 1997

News bad for Heat, Riley
COCONUT GROVE, Fla. (AP) -- Pat Riley sat down Tuesday morning with the sports section and read every word about his Miami Heat.
The news was bad, and it made him mad.
First there was the score: New York Knicks 89, Miami Heat 76. Even worse, Riley sensed resignation in the Heat's reaction to their 3-1 deficit going into Game 5 tonight at Miami Arena.
"Not one player said anything about, 'We're going to win (today),'" Riley said. "That bothered me.
"It was very revealing. The scenario of being down 3-1 and the fact that New York might be simply superior can get to any person. You've got to fight it."
Monday's loss at Madison Square Garden left Miami on the verge of elimination, but Riley tried to rally the Atlantic Division champions for one last stand, chastising his players at practice Tuesday for their post-game comments.
"I'm pretty used to him tongue-lashing us," centre Alonzo Mourning said. "It keeps us going and keeps us inspired.
"We're a wounded animal. You pick at it and pick at it, and it gets a little ornery and frustrated until you kill it.
"We're not dead yet."
But they're on the brink of elimination facing long odds. The only NBA team to overcome a 3-1 deficit since 1981 was the Houston Rockets, who rallied past the Phoenix Suns in 1995.
The Heat must win three straight games against a team that hasn't lost three consecutive games since November. New York is 6-2 against Miami this season.
"We're just better," Knicks guard Chris Childs said.
Coach Jeff Van Gundy took a more cautious stance.
"Miami is being written off far too early," he said. "They didn't have the third-best record in the league for nothing.
"They are a great team, and we have to find a way to get one more win."
The Knicks have dominated with defence. The Heat are averaging just 79 points, shooting a mere 38 per cent and floundering for a third option to Mourning and an exhausted Tim Hardaway, who managed only 10 shots Monday.
Voshon Lenard, Miami's best perimetre threat during the regular season, is 10-for-31 in the series.
"Not one -- not one -- player has played to the level of his regular-season play," Riley said.
The Heat are especially cold at the free throw line, shooting 64.5 per cent.
"Even our good shooters are starting to miss," Riley said. "I'm mystified by it.
"That is deflating for a team to keep missing."

Why? Burn that bridge man......

If I could have been there that day the Heat won I would still be in jail. I hate PJ, Tim, and Alonzo still to this day.

Burn that bridge man....

Hard to forget it. Bad bad memories.

didnt bother me, wasnt jordan playing back then? we would of loss to him anyway.

you believe that. thats very funny
the knicks were never good enough to beat a motivated Michael. lets be real. the knicks didnt have the talent or the heart.

Regular season means nothing it's almost the playoffs is a different form of basketball.

your point was quite vague, i can easily ask you was there a back to back invovled, were players healthy, suspended?

but to get specific the knicks never beat mike, and the media hyped it like they had a chance but they never did, and after the bad boys no one else did.

That 90's knicks team was not as good as people make them.

I knew someone would eventually ask. I lived with my mom in miami at the time... my father still lived in NY. My b-day is May 17th, so I was in NY for a few days with my dad for that. I came back to miami, and one o my better friends at the time ( a heat fan) had tickets. So we went.

Is that ok for you?