It doesn’t matter how good or bad both teams have been over the last two decades. The Knicks (27-25) and Heat (29-23) don’t like each other.
Oddly enough, the storied rivals meet for the first time this season on Thursday night, with the Knicks playing host at Madison Square Garden. Then, both teams will play each other three times in March. This is particularly important because as things currently stand, the standings could get interesting.
The Heat currently rank sixth in the Eastern Conference and more than capable of getting hot and moving upward. The Knicks, meanwhile, are in the play-in tourney and trail Miami by two games.