The Heat–Knicks rivalry was one of the fiercest in the NBA, and "Sports Illustrated" considered it the third-best NBA rivalry. Prior to the 1997 NBA Playoffs, no two NBA teams had ever met in the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, with each series going to the maximum possible number of games. The aggressive nature of those four series, defensive struggles marked by numerous foul calls, and intensely physical play, can be traced to the highly defensive style of Pat Riley, former coach of both teams and the rivalries' central figure. This 1990s rivalry created some of the most highly anticipated matchups during its short-lived tenure.