With no end in sight, Heat streak rises to 26
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 25 Mar 2013
CHICAGO -- The Miami Heat's pursuit of NBA immortality continued Sunday night when they scored their 26th consecutive victory and pulled to within eight games of the all time record of 33 held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite the absence of Dwyane Wade (sore knee), the rampaging Heat had little problem dismissing the lowly Bobcats at the American Airlines Arena, thanks to LeBron James, unquestionably the fulcrum of Miami's improbable onslaught that began last February 3 in Toronto .
James, the reigning league MVP flirted with yet another triple-double, finishing with 32 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Heat polished their No.1 overall record to 55-14.
With Miami trailing 19-8 early in the opening quarter, the game was an interesting watch. But as soon as Miami, quite predictably, got all cylinder clicking, the Bobcats were toast. Shooting 50 percent (38-of-76) from the field, the blew the doors open in the second half and led by as many as 34 points, 109-75.
Seven wins to tie the record and eight wins to surpass it is a lifetime away in the NBA, where the competition stiffly world-class on a nightly basis. But with the way the Heat are playing --- their teamwork, competitive spirit, tenacious defense and explosive offense --- it is highly conceivable that Miami will indeed establish a new NBA record for streaks when everything is said and done.
The only hindrances to the Heat's historic goal of 34 consecutive victories are two road games -- against the Bulls in Chicago on March 27 and against the Spurs in San Antonio on March 31. If they get by those heavyweights, the Heat will only face lightweights such as the Orlando Magic (March 25), New Orleans Hornets (March 29), New York Knicks (April 2), Charlotte Bobcats (April 5), Philadelphia 76ers (April 6) and Milwaukee Bucks (April 9).
Without Derrick Rose and with Joakim Noah missing two games in a row due to a nagging plantar fasciitis, the Bulls are severely handicapped. They will definitely give the Heat a good fight at the United Center before the Heat's superior talent will most likely prevail.
But the sternest test will definitely be San Antonio, a Western Conference beast that has a lot of talent and length. The Spurs are 53-17 overall and an imposing 30-4 at the AT&T Center. With the best overall record at stake, including what could potentially be homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals, the Spurs will go all out for a victory.
At the end of the day, the Heat would rather defend their NBA title than win 34 in a row and get spent in the process. But it sure would be fun to see them try.
LeBron James led the Heat's charge with 32 points against the hapless Charlotte Bobcats.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
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