The Heat ran their win streak to 25 on Friday with another double-digit comeback win, and the fact that the team has shown a consistent ability to flip the switch defensively and take control of a game that fast has many looking toward the consecutive games record of 33 that was set by the 1971-72 Lakers.
There are plenty who believe Miami has a legitimate shot at getting there, due to a combination of the upcoming schedule and the high level at which the Heat are playing, even though setting the all-time mark would require another nine straight victories.
The talk of the streak surrounds the Miami players, both professionally and personally. Friends and family of the Heat are debating the importance of getting the record, but in the eyes of Chris Bosh, it would mean far less than winning a second straight title.
From Michael Wallace of ESPN.com:Once, Bosh found himself debating with a friend. The topic was whether potentially being the only team in NBA history to win 34 games in a row was more significant a feat than being one of a dozen to repeat as champions.
Bosh ended the discussion much like the Heat have closed games lately. With a dominant flurry.
“I’m going for the championship every time,” Bosh said. “You don’t get a plaque, a ring or nothing for 34 wins in a row. You get a record that’ll probably be broken one day. Records are meant to be broken. But championships last forever. As a team, we know that. Somebody was telling me it would be way cooler to win 33 in a row. I’m like, ‘Man, please. Get out of here with that.’ They won’t be throwing confetti after [34]. I’ll guaran-damn-tee you that.”
Bosh has a point, but the good news for him and the rest of his teammates is this: They don’t have to choose between one or the other.
The Heat are favored to repeat as champions, and stretching the streak to 35 games (or ultimately falling short) wouldn’t do anything to change that.
