Heat Win 24th Straight, Rally Past Cavaliers 98-95

The Miami Heat won their 24th straight game Wednesday after rallying from 27-points down to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-95. The Heat matched the NBA’s biggest comeback this season and are within nine games of the Los Angeles Lakers win streak record, which sits at 33 straight wins.

LeBron James was stellar in Cleveland Wednesday, where he played his first seven seasons in the NBA before signing with the Heat in 2010. James finished the game with a triple-double including 25 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds.

The Cavaliers held a 67-40 lead with just under eight minutes left in the third quarter, but the Heat stormed back, closing the gap before taking the lead late in the fourth. James scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter alone including two free throws in the final seconds that held off the Cavaliers.

C.J. Miles had a chance to tie it at the buzzer with a three-pointer but missed long, allowing the Heat to sneak out of Cleveland with a win. Dwyane Wade finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists while Mario Chalmers added 17 points.

The Cavaliers have now lost five straight games and were without star point guard Kyrie Irving Wednesday against the Heat due to a left shoulder injury. Wayne Ellington and Tyler Zeller, both products of the University of North Carolina, led the Cavaliers in the loss. Ellington finished with a team-high 20 points while Zeller added a double-double, ending with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Heat have now clinched the Southeast Division title, and they still have 15 games left to play. Their next three games are against teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference as they take on the Detroit Pistons Friday, the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday, and the Orlando Magic on Monday.

With the win at Cleveland, the Heat now have the best home and road records in the NBA. Miami is now 23-11 on the road, just ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the best in the league. The Heat face-off with the Spurs on March 31, and, if their streak holds up, they will be at 30-games by the time they face the best team in the Western Conference.

All signs are pointing towards another title run for the Heat, no matter when their record streak ends. With the way Miami is capable of playing defense, there’s no way of telling if they will lose again this season. If LeBron James has anything to do with it, the odds are in the Heat’s favor.

Do the Heat have what it takes to pass the Lakers for the longest winning streak of all-time at 33-games?