This Is Why They’re Hot

Local fans get ready, because the Heat is on! Okay, sorry, but lame wordplay (and Glenn Frey reference) aside, our defending champs are on a serious roll and just might be the hottest team in the NBA right now. Apparently where there is smoke there really is fire.

Thanks to some serious effort and great games by the Diesel, (a.k.a. Shaquille O’Neal to us mere mortals), the hometown heroes have won eight of their last ten games and are skyrocketing up the playoff standings. Incredibly enough, they’ve done nearly all of this damage without last year’s NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, who’s been out with a shoulder injury. The Toronto Raptors swoop into the American Airlines Arena, and will be looking for an upset behind their all-star Chris Bosh.
Tue., April 3, 7:30 p.m.