There are some more interesting tests ahead on the schedule this week — Chicago, a New Orleans team that just ended the Nuggets win streak, then San Antonio. Games where the Heat can’t just coast along and flip a switch.
But they did follow that pattern again Monday — and it worked again. The Heat cruised to their 27th straight win following the pattern of recent games:
The other team comes out fired up, Miami doesn’t match their intensity and the opponent take an early lead. Then Miami follows LeBron James on a big run, pulls away in the second half and wins handily.
Monday night that pattern led to a 108-94 win for the Heat that extended their winning streak to 27 games. As has been drummed into your head by now that is the second longest in NBA history and six games short of the NBA record of 33 from the 1972 Lakers.
The Heat players really don’t want to talk about it, but it’s an amazing feat. And it’s a streak kept alive Monday not so much because the Heat were focused on the game — LeBron was decidedly unfocused for much of the night — but because the Heat (even with Dwyane Wade sitting out his second straight game to rest his knee) had much more talent on the court than a banged-up Magic team.
Jameer Nelson was the key to Orlando getting out to an early lead (which never reached double digits but was steady). Nelson knocked down shots (he finished with 27 points on 20 shots) and was making the quick, smart pass when the Heat started trapping him. Orlando took care of the ball, Miami turned it over and the Magic had the lead.
That lead was at 42-37 midway through the second quarter when the Heat flipped the switch for the first time that night — Miami closed the half on n an 18-4 run. The Magic shot 2-of-19 to close out the half and Miami led by nine, in part because they were 8-of-15 from three in the first 24 minutes.
The third quarter started out pretty much like the first half of the game (and really the first half of the Heat season — they coasted again. And Nelson was making plays again — he capped a 15-4 Magic run to tie the game 68-68 with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter.
Then LeBron woke up — he started with a monster dunk that ignited a 10-0 Heat run to close out the third quarter. That run grew to 20-2 into the fourth. The Magic were turning the ball over against the pressure defense, and when you do that against the Heat you get Ray Allen threes in transition and LeBron alley-oop finishes.
It became a rout; before you could blink it was 88-70 Miami. Orlando put on some little runs in the fourth (they play hard for Jacque Vaughn), but the Heat pushed them back, expanded their lead and won handily.
LeBron James feigned frustration (or, maybe not so feigned) when taken out of the game one rebound short of a triple-double — 24 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds. Allen and Chris Bosh each chipped in a dozen, Mario Chalmers had 17.
Miami’s streak is going to get put to a tougher test the rest of the week, but the flip side is they may be more focused from the opening tip. To keep their streak alive from here on out, they are going to have to change the pattern.