The1996–97 Miami Heat season was the ninth season for theMiami Heat in theNational Basketball Association.^[1] During the off-season, the Heat signed free agents, All-Star guard and three-point specialistDan Majerle,^[2][3][4]P.J. Brown,^[5][6][7] andIsaac Austin.^[8][9] The team also signed All-Star forwardJuwan Howard to a 7-year $100 million contract, but was voided by the league claiming that the Heat exceeded their salary cap;^[10][11][12] Howard then quickly re-signed with theWashington Bullets.^[13][14][15] At mid-season, the team traded second-year guardSasha Danilovic, and second-year forwardKurt Thomas to theDallas Mavericks in exchange forJamal Mashburn.^[16][17][18]

After a 5–4 start to the regular season, the Heat went on a nine-game winning streak, then won eleven straight games between January and February, held a 36–12 record at the All-Star break,^[19] and won eight straight in March, as they won their first Division title by finishing in first place in theAtlantic Division with a 61–21 record, which stood as the franchise mark until the2012–13 season, and earned the second seed in theEastern Conference;^[20] the team also posted the league's best road record at 32–9, while posting a 29–12 home record at theMiami Arena. Head coachPat Riley was named theNBA Coach of the Year for the third time, after leading the Heat to a 19-game improvement over the previous season.^[21][22][23] The Heat had the best team defensive rating in the NBA.^[24]

Tim Hardaway led the Heat with 20.3 points, 8.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and also led them with 203 three-point field goals, and was named to theAll-NBA First Team, whileAlonzo Mourning averaged 19.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.^[25][26] In addition, second-year guardVoshon Lenard showed improvement becoming the team's starting shooting guard at mid-season, averaging 12.3 points per game and contributing 183 three-point field goals, while Majerle contributed 10.8 points per game, but only played just 36 games due to a back injury,^[27][28] and Brown provided the team with 9.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Off the bench, Austin, who played as backup center, averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and was named theNBA Most Improved Player of the Year,^[29][30][31] andKeith Askins contributed 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.^[25]

During theNBA All-Star weekend at theGund Arena inCleveland, Ohio, Hardaway and Mourning were both selected for the1997 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team;^[32][33][34] however, Mourning did not participate due to a foot injury, in which he missed 16 games this season.^[35][36][37] Hardaway also finished in fourth place inMost Valuable Player voting, while Mourning finished in twelfth place;^[38][39] Lenard finished in fourth place inMost Improved Player voting, while Hardaway finished tied in twelfth place,^[39] and Austin finished tied in seventh place inSixth Man of the Year voting.^[39]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the1997 NBA playoffs, the Heat won their first everNBA playoff series by defeating their in-state rivals, theOrlando Magic in five games.^[40][41][42] In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they faced off against theNew York Knicks, the previous team that Riley had served as head coach.

After the Heat trailed 3–1 in the series,^[43][44][45] a brawl occurred in Game 5 at the Miami Arena, in which the Heat defeated the Knicks, 96–81; during the fourth quarter, Brown picked up Knicks guardCharlie Ward, and threw him off the court, which prompted several Knicks players to come off the bench during the altercation.^[46][47][48] Five Knicks players were suspended, with four of them receiving automatic one-game suspensions for leaving the bench during an altercation, while Brown was suspended for two games.^[49][50][51] The Heat won the next two games, thus winning the series in seven games.^[52][53][54]

In their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat lost in five games to the defending NBA championChicago Bulls.^[55][56][57] It was also the fifth playoff matchup between Riley and Bulls head coachPhil Jackson that decade, with the first three meetings from 1992 to 1994 when Riley coached the Knicks, and in last year's playoffs.^[58] The Bulls would go on to defeat theUtah Jazz in six games in the1997 NBA Finals, winning their second consecutive NBA championship, and their fifth championship in seven years.^[59][60][61]

The Heat did not have any draft picks in 1996.

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

In the first round of theplayoffs, the Heat confronted their in-state rivals, theOrlando Magic. The Heat won the first two games. In Orlando, the Magic defeated the Heat to force a fifth game. The Heat won the decisive Game 5 at home, 91–83. Winning their first ever playoff series.^[26]In the following round, the Heat were matched up against Pat Riley's former team, theNew York Knicks. After the first four games, the Knicks had a 3–1 series lead. The Heat won Game 5 although the game was remembered for P. J. Brown fighting with Heisman Trophy winnerCharlie Ward.^[26] Some Knicks players came off the bench and earned automatic suspensions, and Brown was suspended for the rest of the series. The Heat players stayed on the bench and gained an advantage for the rest of the series. The Heat eliminated the undermanned Knicks in seven games andone of the most heated rivalries in the NBA was born.^[26] In the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat were defeated by the eventual NBA championChicago Bulls in five games.

• Tim Hardaway, All NBA First Team
• P. J. Brown, All NBA Defensive Second Team
• Pat Riley, Coach of the Year
• Isaac Austin,NBA Most Improved Player Award

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