At this point, there seems to be no limit to what the Miami Heat in general and LeBron James in particular can achieve in this season that becomes more and more special and historic with each consecutive victory.
With Monday night’s dramatic, memorable 105-103 conquest over the hated Celtics in Boston – a win secured by James’ last-second jump shot – the Heat have won 23 in succession, the second-most for a team in NBA lore.
Above that, it seems extending it 10 more games, no matter the opponent, is more an eventuality than a challenge. That’s how effective Miami has been. Whether by blowout or hold-your-breath fashion, the Heat have put down every team it has faced since losing to Indiana on February 1. And they have been solid about the milestone, understanding its relevance while maintaining an eye on the ultimate prize.
“We grew again tonight and that’s big for our team,” James, who had 37 points and 12 assists, said.
The Celtics played without forward Kevin Garnett, who has a thigh strain. No matter because Jeff Green stepped in and contributed a career-high 43 points. Boston, which led by as many as 17 points, 13 in the fourth quarter, looked prepared to stop the Miami run, just as it did in 2008 when the Houston Rockets also had won 22 in a row.
But James had other results in mind. He entered the game with 9:06 left in the fourth quarter, with the Heat down 10 points. James attempted 11 of the Heat’s final 17 field goals, making six. The Heat outscored the Celtics 22-10 in that span, including the game-winner.
“It’s just LeBron being LeBron,” Shane Battier said. “You never take that for granted. Shame on anybody that takes No. 6 for granted.”
The Heat’s next five games are against teams that are less than .500. March 27 in Chicago seems to be their next challenge, although a slip up could occur any time on the floor. But this team seems to respect the game too much. And since they are so close to the all-time record for consecutive victories of 33 set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, it is unlikely Miami will have said slip up.
“It’s a special opportunity that we have with this group and you don’t want to take it for granted,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You want to treat every day as a special opportunity to be with this group, to share these moments together, but more importantly to take a step closer to going after our goal and every day that we improve puts us in a better position in a quest where nothing is guaranteed for anybody.”
