Google had just launched. Bill Clinton was president. And the Yankees’ dynasty was in full swing.
Yes, it has been that long since a Knicks-Heat postseason series mattered this much. No, 2012 doesn’t count, when Amar’e Stoudemire smashing the glass casing of a fire extinguisher was the most noteworthy part of that easy Heat series victory in five games.
Both teams, first-round underdogs not expected to still be playing, now look capable of advancing all the way into June. Now, one will reach the conference semifinals, either the Knicks getting there for the first time since 2000 or the eighth-seeded Heat bucking the odds following an underwhelming regular season in which they nearly were eliminated in the play-in round.
“It’s always good for the league when there’s a Heat-Knicks playoff series,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Miami stunned the top-seeded Bucks in five games.
It sets up to be a fascinating series between two old rivals, two similar teams led by overachieving guards, Jalen Brunson for the Knicks and Jimmy Butler for the Heat, and two head coaches, Tom Thibodeau and Spoelstra, who lived this rivalry as assistant coaches in its heyday.
Roughly 25 years ago, this was the premier rivalry in the sport. They met in the playoffs four straight years from 1997-2000, with each series going the distance. Fights marred two of the series, helping to decide the winner. Games were often played in the high-70s and low-80s. It was more like combat than basketball. A 3-pointer counted as a run.
“Great competition with great players, and I think it went from a healthy disdain into mutual respect,” said Jeff Van Gundy, the ESPN analyst and former Knicks coach. “’97, I thought was a great team, derailed by an unfortunate event, and I truly thought we had a championship-caliber team. And then the next three years, winning a decisive game on the road showed we were blessed by having not only great players, but really, really tough competitors.”
Obviously, so much is different about these franchises now compared to then. The players are different and so are the coaches. The game isn’t the same. But there are similarities, in terms of the toughness and grit with which they still play, the focus on the defensive end and the self-belief they both have.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks vs. Heat NBA playoff series
- Vaccaro: Knicks’ failure to help Brunson is why their season’s over
- Knicks battle but fall in season-ending Game 6 loss to Heat
- Knicks couldn’t survive two minutes without Brunson
- Brunson’s heroic night spoiled by late turnover
Nobody gave the Heat much of a shot against the Bucks, not after a mediocre 44-38 season and tense play-in victory over the Bulls just to reach the main draw. The Knicks were similarly doubted, projected before the season as a play-in team that wouldn’t win 40 games. They were ripped for not pulling off the Donovan Mitchell trade, and considered a heavy underdog to upset the Cavaliers.
The two teams appear to be playing their best at the right time, despite injuries. The status of Knicks starters Julius Randle (sprained left ankle) and Quentin Grimes (right shoulder contusion) is uncertain. The Heat won’t have sharpshooter Tyler Herro (broken right hand). But those health issues haven’t slowed down either team.
“The game is played a little bit differently now, but what wins and what loses is exactly the same,” Van Gundy said. “You have to get better shots than your opponent. That’s the same. I think both teams are tough-minded and the thing that really stands out is how both teams are superiorly coached. Great, great coaching and organization. That’s what stands out to me, tough players, good players, superior coaching.”
It could mean another classic series between these two teams. Maybe Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning will sit courtside and mix it up for old times’ sake.
“It seems like it was a great rivalry back then,” Randle said recently.
There will be nostalgia. There will be heavy buzz. The building will be fun and deafening. There will be the Heat and the Knicks, reprising a feud that once was the NBA’s best.
This is the next chapter, fittingly starting Sunday afternoon at the Garden. It just feels right.