The Streak is Over at 27

In two of my posts, “22 and Counting!!!” and “STREAK UPDATE!!!” I clearly explained the historic win streak that the Miami Heat had begun. Back on February 3rd 2013, Miami traveled across the Canadian border to play against the Toronto Raptors. The Heat went on to win the game by a double digit margin but they didn’t realize that the victory would jump start them into setting a historic streak. As the weeks went on, the streak grew larger and larger and the Miami Heat was once again the center of attention in all of sports media.

 “This streak is good for the NBA, it gives us as fans something to look forward to or be excited for,” Hall of Famer and ESPN NBA Countdown analyst Magic Johnson stated when asked about the streak. I wholeheartedly agree with Magic because the streak is exciting and although every human is not a fan of the Miami Heat, once it is known that a team is close to breaking records everyone watching becomes a little more intrigued with the situation.

Unfortunately the win streak came to an end at an amazing 27 games, on March 27th, 2013 when the Heat traveled to Chicago to face the Chicago Bulls. In a game that many considered poorly refereed the Heat lost 97-101. The officiating team received a lot of flack because of the “nonbasketball” plays that the Bulls were making in order to combat the physical abilities of Lebron James. In the clip below you’ll see Bulls guard Kurt Hinrich tackling James to stop the play, but Hinrich must have forgotten that they were playing basketball not football. 

I’m not here to make any excuses for the Heat and Lebron James because they could have still won the game, but a few mishaps in the final moments prevented the streak from continuing.  But all in all, the streak was great for the entire NBA as it added another exciting element to the 2012-2013 regular season.  The streak ended at a perfect time. As the playoffs approach, many of the key players such as Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh can now rest up and get ready to capture their second consecutive championship.