For a moment on this lazy Sunday afternoon in Toronto, it seemed as though it might all end for the Miami Heat exactly where it began. For a moment. With the game tied at 77 early in the fourth, the Heat turned on, well, the heat, blasting off on a 28-4 run to help secure a win for the 22nd straight time.
LeBron finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, while Dwyane Wade led all Heat scorers with 24 as the team tied the NBA record for the second-longest win streak. The Raptors' Rudy Gay led all scorers with 27 in the loss and after the game actually explained to the Heat "what a loss" was -- so that was nice of him.
The last time the Heat was in Toronto, the team was coming off a loss to the Pacers, and the "big story" was that the players might miss the Super Bowl because of their pesky job of flying to different cities to play basketball. After taking care of the Raptors that night, the team decided to stay in Toronto and watch the game together.
Following the game, Shane Battier gave a speech to the team that many credit for this amazing run. Yes, the streak might have to do with the Heat being the tits at basketball, but the speech is getting credit for bringing those double-D tits out. Also, it's a story, so shut up and listen. Following Sunday's game, Battier gave the team speech because you DON'T JUST NOT RE-UP ON THE SHANE BATTIER CANADIAN SPEECH MOJO!
With a chance to claim the second-longest winning stretch all for themselves, the Heat's Streak-watch will take your spoiled, beautiful asses to Beantown next to face a Celtics team that is basically held together with duct tape and spit. Boston will be without Rajon Rondo, who is out for the season, but might also be without Kevin Garnett, who is nursing an injury. While Boston may be banged up and shorthanded, the Heat must be sure to not take them lightly or the streak could come to a crashing end.
"If there's any group that would be motivated in a circumstance like this, it's that team in green," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "I don't know if the streak will be a big factor, but they love playing against us, and vice versa. That's what happens when you meet a team consecutively in the playoffs. There's a history there, and that's what makes these games special."
In other words, Boston versus Miami is always off the chain. A 23rd straight win would move Miami into second place behind only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who rattled off 33 straight Ws.
The Cobra Dick is coming to Boston. Never forget.
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