1996–97 Miami Heat season

The 1996–97 NBA season was the ninth season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association.[1] During the off-season, the Heat signed free agents, All-Star guard and three-point specialist Dan Majerle,[2][3][4][5] P.J. Brown,[6][7][8] and Isaac Austin.[9][10] The team also signed All-Star forward Juwan Howard to a 7-year $100 million contract, but was voided by the league claiming that Miami exceeded their salary cap;[11][12][13][14][15] Howard then quickly re-signed with the Washington Bullets.[16][17][18][19][20] At midseason, the team traded second-year guard Sasha Danilovic, and second-year forward Kurt Thomas to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Jamal Mashburn.[21][22][23][24]

1996–97 Miami Heat season
Division champions
Head coachPat Riley
General managerRandy Pfund
PresidentPat Riley
Owner(s)Micky Arison
ArenaMiami Arena
Results
Record61–21 (.744)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Atlantic)
Conference: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finishEastern Conference finals
(lost to Bulls 1–4)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWBFS-TV
Sunshine Network
RadioWIOD
< 1995–96 1997–98 >

After a 5–4 start to the 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,[25] and won eight straight in March, as they won their first Division title with a record of 61 wins and 21 losses, which stood as the franchise mark until the 2012–13 season.[26] The team also posted the league's best road record at 32–9, while posting a 29–12 record at home. Head coach Pat Riley was named Coach of the Year for the third time.[27][28][29][30][31] The Heat had the best team defensive rating in the NBA.[32]

Tim Hardaway had a career season with the Heat as he led the team with 20.3 points, 8.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while Alonzo Mourning averaged 19.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.[33] Hardaway and Mourning were both selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game,[34][35][36][37][38] although Mourning did not play due to a foot injury, where he missed 16 games this season.[39][40][41][42] Hardaway was named to the All-NBA First Team, and finished in fourth place in Most Valuable Player voting behind Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Grant Hill.[43][44][45]

On the defensive side, Mourning and Brown both provided leadership, while on the offensive side, Mashburn gave the team a spark. In addition, second-year guard Voshon Lenard showed improvement becoming the team's starting shooting guard midway through the season, averaging 12.3 points per game, as Majerle only played just 36 games due to a back injury.[46][47] Majerle contributed 10.8 points per game, while 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 Keith Askins contributed 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.[33] Austin was honored with the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award,[48][49][50][38] while Lenard finished in fourth place in Most Improved Player voting.[45]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Heat won their first ever playoff series by defeating their in-state rivals, the Orlando Magic in five games.[51][52][53][54] In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they faced the New York Knicks, the previous team that Riley had served as head coach.[55][56][57] Game 5 of that series featured a brawl, which involved Brown throwing Knicks guard Charlie Ward off the court, and with several Knicks players coming off the bench during the altercation, receiving automatic one-game suspensions while Brown was suspended for two games.[58][59][60][61][62] Overtuning a 3–1 series deficit, the Heat managed to defeat the Knicks in seven games.[63][64][65][66]

In their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat lost in five games to the defending champion Chicago Bulls.[67][68][69][70] It was also the fifth playoff matchup between Riley and Bulls head coach Phil Jackson that decade, with the first three meetings from 1992 to 1994 when Riley coached the Knicks, and in last year's playoffs.[71] The Bulls would go on to defeat the Utah Jazz in six games in the NBA Finals, winning their fifth championship in seven years.[72][73][74][75][76]

Off-season

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NBA draft

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The Heat did not have any draft picks in 1996.

Roster

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1996–97 Miami Heat roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 35 Anderson, Willie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1967–01–08 Georgia
F 2 Askins, Keith 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 197 lb (89 kg) 1967–12–15 Alabama
C 8 Austin, Isaac 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1969–08–18 Arizona State
F 3 Bowen, Bruce 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1971–06–14 Cal State Fullerton
F/C 42 Brown, P. J. 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1969–10–14 Louisiana Tech
G 11 Crotty, John 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1969–07–15 Virginia
G 23 Grant, Gary 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1965–04–21 Michigan
G 10 Hardaway, Tim 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1966–09–01 UTEP
G 21 Lenard, Voshon 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1973–05–14 Minnesota
G/F 9 Majerle, Dan 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1965–09–09 Central Michigan
F 24 Mashburn, Jamal 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1972–11–29 Kentucky
C 33 Mourning, Alonzo 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1970–02–08 Georgetown
F 54 Pinckney, Ed 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1963–03–27 Villanova
F 30 Strickland, Mark 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1970–07–14 Temple
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  •   Injured

Roster
Last transaction: March 25, 1997

Regular season

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Season standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Miami Heat 61 21 .744 29–12 32–9 16–8
x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695 4 31–10 26–15 19–6
x-Orlando Magic 45 37 .549 16 26–15 19–22 13–11
x-Washington Bullets 44 38 .537 17 25–16 19–22 14–10
New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 35 16–25 10–31 11–13
Philadelphia 76ers 22 60 .268 39 11–30 11–30 11–14
Boston Celtics 15 67 .183 46 11–30 4–37 1–23
1996–97 NBA East standings
#
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Chicago Bulls 69 13 .841
2 y-Miami Heat 61 21 .744 8
3 x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695 12
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 56 26 .683 13
5 x-Detroit Pistons 54 28 .659 15
6 x-Charlotte Hornets 54 28 .659 15
7 x-Orlando Magic 45 37 .549 24
8 x-Washington Bullets 44 38 .537 25
9 Cleveland Cavaliers 42 40 .512 27
10 Indiana Pacers 39 43 .476 30
11 Milwaukee Bucks 33 49 .402 36
12 Toronto Raptors 30 52 .366 39
13 New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 43
14 Philadelphia 76ers 22 60 .268 47
15 Boston Celtics 15 67 .183 54
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1996-97 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta 3–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 1–2 4–0 2–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–1
Boston 1–3 0–4 0–4 1–2 1–1 1–1 0–4 1–1 0–2 1–2 0–2 1–1 0–4 1–3 0–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 1–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 3–1 0–2 0–2 0–4
Charlotte 3–1 4–0 0–4 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 2–0 2–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–0 4–0 3–1 1–2 4–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 0–2 2–0 3–1
Chicago 3–1 4–0 4–0 3–1 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 4–0 2–0 1–1 2–2 4–0 2–0 3–1 2–2 3–0 4–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–1
Cleveland 1–3 2–1 1–3 1–3 2–0 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 0–4 2–2 2–0 4–0 1–3 2–2 3–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 3–1 1–1 2–0 1–3
Dallas 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 3–1 0–2 0–4 0–4 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–3 3–1 0–2
Denver 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–3 0–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–3 0–4 0–2 1–1 0–4 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–2 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–1 0–4 3–1 1–1
Detroit 3–1 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 0–4 3–1 2–0 4–0 1–2 2–2 2–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 4–0
Golden State 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 4–0 3–1 0–2 0–4 1–1 1–3 0–4 0–2 1–1 1–3 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–4 2–2 1–3 4–0 0–4 2–0 0–4 3–1 0–2
Houston 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 4–0 3–1 1–1 4–0 1–1 3–1 3–1 0–2 1–1 4–0 2–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 2–2 3–1 2–0
Indiana 1–3 2–1 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 2–0 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–2 2–0 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–2 2–0 1–3
L.A. Clippers 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–2 3–1 0–2 3–1 1–3 0–2 2–2 0–2 2–0 1–3 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–2 0–4 2–2 4–0 1–3 2–0 1–3 4–0 0–2
L.A. Lakers 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 4–0 1–1 4–0 1–3 1–1 2–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–0 1–3 4–0 2–2 3–1 1–1 1–3 4–0 2–0
Miami 2–1 4–0 2–1 2–2 4–0 2–0 2–0 4–0 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 3–1 0–2 2–0 3–1
Milwaukee 0–4 3–1 2–2 0–4 2–2 2–0 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–2 0–2 0–2 0–4 0–2 2–1 1–2 2–2 3–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 1–3
Minnesota 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–1 4–0 0–2 3–1 0–4 0–2 3–1 1–3 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–1 2–2 0–4 4–0 0–4 1–1 1–3 4–0 1–1
New Jersey 1–3 4–0 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–1 1–1 0–4 0–2 0–2 2–2 1–1 0–2 1–3 1–2 0–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–3 0–2 2–0 1–3
New York 3–1 4–0 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–1 1–1 2–2 3–1 3–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 3–0 1–1 2–0 4–0
Orlando 1–3 4–0 2–1 0–3 2–2 1–1 2–0 2–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–2 2–2 1–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–2 1–1 1–3
Philadelphia 0–4 3–1 0–4 0–4 0–3 0–2 1–1 1–2 0–2 0–2 0–3 1–1 0–2 1–3 1–3 1–1 2–2 2–3 2–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–3 0–2 2–0 1–3
Phoenix 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–1 2–2 2–0 4–0 2–2 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–3 4–0 3–1 2–2 0–2 1–3 2–2 1–1
Portland 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 3–1 4–0 1–1 2–2 2–2 1–1 4–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–1 2–2 4–0 1–3 0–2 2–2 4–0 0–2
Sacramento 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 2–2 2–2 1–1 3–1 0–4 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 2–0 4–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–4 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–1 0–4 4–0 0–2
San Antonio 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 3–1 2–2 0–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 0–4 2–2 0–2 1–1 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–1 1–3 1–3 0–2
Seattle 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 2–0 3–1 4–0 1–1 4–0 1–3 1–1 3–1 1–3 2–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 2–0 1–3 4–0 2–0
Toronto 0–4 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–0 1–1 1–3 0–2 1–1 0–4 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–3 1–1 3–0 0–3 0–4 3–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–2
Utah 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 3–1 4–0 1–1 4–0 2–2 2–0 3–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 4–0 2–0
Vancouver 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 0–4 0–4 0–2 0–2 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 3–1 0–4 1–1 0–4 1–1
Washington 1–2 4–0 1–3 1–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 0–4 2–0 0–2 3–1 2–0 0–2 1–3 3–1 1–1 3–1 0–4 3–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 0–2 2–2 0–2 1–1

Schedule

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Game Date Opponent Result Heat points Opponents Record Streak Notes
1

Playoffs

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In the first round of the playoffs, the Heat confronted their in-state rivals, the Orlando 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.[38] In the following round, the Heat were matched up against Pat Riley's former team, the New 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 winner Charlie Ward.[38] 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 and one of the most heated rivalries in the NBA was born.[38] In the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat were defeated by the eventual NBA champion Chicago Bulls in five games.


1997 playoff game log
First round: 3–2 (home: 3–0; road: 0–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 April 24 Orlando W 99–64 Voshon Lenard (24) P. J. Brown (12) Tim Hardaway (11) Miami Arena
15,200
1–0
2 April 27 Orlando W 104–87 Tim Hardaway (20) Alonzo Mourning (9) Tim Hardaway (11) Miami Arena
15,200
2–0
3 April 29 @ Orlando L 75–88 Alonzo Mourning (17) Alonzo Mourning (17) Tim Hardaway (8) Orlando Arena
17,248
2–1
4 May 1 @ Orlando L 91–99 Alonzo Mourning (23) Mourning, Brown (13) Tim Hardaway (8) Orlando Arena
16,555
2–2
5 May 4 Orlando W 91–83 Alonzo Mourning (22) P. J. Brown (14) Tim Hardaway (11) Miami Arena
15,200
3–2
Conference Semi-finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 May 7 New York L 79–88 Tim Hardaway (21) P. J. Brown (12) Tim Hardaway (6) Miami Arena
14,870
0–1
2 May 9 New York W 88–84 Tim Hardaway (34) Alonzo Mourning (13) Hardaway, Majerle (4) Miami Arena
14,870
1–1
3 May 11 @ New York L 73–77 Voshon Lenard (22) P. J. Brown (10) Tim Hardaway (8) Madison Square Garden
19,763
1–2
4 May 12 @ New York L 76–89 Tim Hardaway (14) P. J. Brown (12) Willie Anderson (4) Madison Square Garden
19,763
1–3
5 May 14 New York W 96–81 Voshon Lenard (21) P. J. Brown (12) Tim Hardaway (6) Miami Arena
14,782
2–3
6 May 16 @ New York W 95–90 Alonzo Mourning (28) Alonzo Mourning (9) Tim Hardaway (8) Madison Square Garden
19,763
3–3
7 May 18 New York W 101–90 Tim Hardaway (38) Alonzo Mourning (12) Tim Hardaway (7) Miami Arena
14,870
4–3
Conference finals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 May 20 @ Chicago L 77–84 Alonzo Mourning (21) Mourning, Austin (8) Tim Hardaway (9) United Center
24,544
0–1
2 May 22 @ Chicago L 68–75 Tim Hardaway (15) Alonzo Mourning (8) Tim Hardaway (5) United Center
24,544
0–2
3 May 24 Chicago L 74–98 Voshon Lenard (14) Alonzo Mourning (9) John Crotty (5) Miami Arena
14,720
0–3
4 May 26 Chicago W 87–80 Tim Hardaway (25) Alonzo Mourning (14) Tim Hardaway (7) Miami Arena
14,720
1–3
5 May 28 @ Chicago L 87–100 Tim Hardaway (27) Alonzo Mourning (8) Lenard, Hardaway (5) United Center
24,544
1–4
1997 schedule

Player statistics

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Ragular season

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Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Isaac Austin C 82 17 1,881 478 101 45 43 792 22.9 5.8 1.2 .5 .5 9.7
Tim Hardaway PG 81 81 3,136 277 695 151 9 1,644 38.7 3.4 8.6 1.9 .1 20.3
P. J. Brown PF 80 71 2,592 670 92 85 98 761 32.4 8.4 1.2 1.1 1.2 9.5
Keith Askins SF 78 30 1,773 271 75 53 19 384 22.7 3.5 1.0 .7 .2 4.9
Voshon Lenard SG 73 47 2,111 217 161 50 18 897 28.9 3.0 2.2 .7 .2 12.3
Alonzo Mourning C 66 65 2,320 656 104 56 189 1,310 35.2 9.9 1.6 .8 2.9 19.8
John Crotty PG 48 0 659 47 102 18 0 232 13.7 1.0 2.1 .4 .0 4.8
Predrag Danilović SG 43 33 1,351 102 77 39 8 486 31.4 2.4 1.8 .9 .2 11.3
Dan Majerle SF 36 26 1,264 162 116 54 14 390 35.1 4.5 3.2 1.5 .4 10.8
Jamal Mashburn SF 32 30 1,189 179 111 43 7 428 37.2 5.6 3.5 1.3 .2 13.4
Mark Strickland PF 31 0 153 37 1 4 10 62 4.9 1.2 .0 .1 .3 2.0
Willie Anderson SG 28 1 303 42 34 14 4 83 10.8 1.5 1.2 .5 .1 3.0
Gary Grant PG 28 0 365 38 45 16 0 110 13.0 1.4 1.6 .6 .0 3.9
Ed Pinckney PF 27 0 273 65 6 8 9 66 10.1 2.4 .2 .3 .3 2.4
Kurt Thomas PF 18 9 374 107 9 12 9 113 20.8 5.9 .5 .7 .5 6.3
Martin Müürsepp PF 10 0 27 5 3 0 1 17 2.7 .5 .3 .0 .1 1.7
James Scott SF 8 0 32 6 3 2 0 1 4.0 .8 .4 .3 .0 .1
Bruce Bowen SF 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1.0 .0 .0 .0 1.0 .0
Matt Fish C 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
  • Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Heat only.

Playoffs

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Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Tim Hardaway PG 17 17 701 69 119 27 1 318 41.2 4.1 7.0 1.6 .1 18.7
Alonzo Mourning C 17 17 630 173 18 11 46 303 37.1 10.2 1.1 .6 2.7 17.8
Jamal Mashburn SF 17 17 554 84 35 17 2 178 32.6 4.9 2.1 1.0 .1 10.5
Voshon Lenard SG 17 17 548 50 36 11 3 194 32.2 2.9 2.1 .6 .2 11.4
Dan Majerle SF 17 2 496 72 43 21 4 136 29.2 4.2 2.5 1.2 .2 8.0
P. J. Brown PF 15 15 451 129 10 9 20 122 30.1 8.6 .7 .6 1.3 8.1
Isaac Austin C 15 0 287 66 6 6 7 98 19.1 4.4 .4 .4 .5 6.5
John Crotty PG 15 0 125 11 11 4 0 37 8.3 .7 .7 .3 .0 2.5
Keith Askins SF 12 0 146 28 7 3 2 30 12.2 2.3 .6 .3 .2 2.5
Willie Anderson SG 9 0 120 17 5 4 2 33 13.3 1.9 .6 .4 .2 3.7
Mark Strickland PF 4 0 16 3 1 1 0 8 4.0 .8 .3 .3 .0 2.0
Ed Pinckney PF 2 0 6 0 1 0 0 4 3.0 .0 .5 .0 .0 2.0

Awards

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Transactions

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References

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  1. ^ 1996-97 Miami Heat
  2. ^ "Majerle Seems Headed to the Heat". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 14, 1996. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  3. ^ "Majerle to Sign with Heat". The Spokesman-Review. Wire Services. August 22, 1996. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Once More, Majerle to Miami". Tampa Bay Times. August 22, 1996. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  5. ^ Heeren, Dave (August 23, 1996). "Majerle Makes It Official with Heat". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Brown Leaves Nets for the Heat". The New York Times. July 19, 1996. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "Even a P.J. Brown Can Strike It Rich". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. July 19, 1996. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  8. ^ "Heat Add Brown, Keep Hardaway". SFGate. July 19, 1996. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  9. ^ Patton, Robes (October 11, 1996). "Riley's Camp Has Little Use for Games". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  10. ^ Patton, Robes (October 25, 1996). "Austin Fits as Smaller Big Man". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "NBA Blocks Howard's Contract". Associated Press. July 31, 1996. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  12. ^ "N.B.A. Rejects Howard Deal". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 1, 1996. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Asher, Mark (August 1, 1996). "NBA Rejects Heat's Contract with Howard". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  14. ^ "League Voids Howard's Contract with Heat". Tampa Bay Times. August 1, 1996. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  15. ^ Brown, Clifton (August 13, 1996). "An Angry Pat Riley Insists the Heat Broke No Salary Cap Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  16. ^ Brown, Clifton (August 6, 1996). "Howard: 2 Deals, 2 Teams, $200 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  17. ^ Asher, Mark (August 6, 1996). "Howard's End a Mystery Even with Bullet Signing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Asher, Mark (August 6, 1996). "Juwan Howard Re-Signs with Bullets". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  19. ^ Nakamura, David (August 6, 1996). "If You Can't Stand the Heat..." The Washington Post. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  20. ^ Goldstein, Alan (August 6, 1996). "Bullets Sign Howard to Contract, too 7-Year, $98M Deal Sets Up Legal Showdown with Punished Heat; Miami Salary Cap at Issue; If Bullets Keep All-Star, They May Lose No. 1 Pick". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Lester, Will (February 14, 1997). "Heat Gets Mavericks' Mashburn for Three Players". Associated Press. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  22. ^ Brown, Clifton (February 15, 1997). "Miami Acquires Mashburn from Dallas to Bolster Its Firepower". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  23. ^ "Heat Acquires Mashburn from Mavericks". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 15, 1997. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "A Move Forward: Mashburn". Sun Sentinel. February 15, 1997. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  25. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  26. ^ "1996–97 Miami Heat Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
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