Miami Heat Winning Streak Reaches 22 Games (VIDEO)

The defending champs continue to pound the opposition into submission, notching their 22nd straight win yesterday in Toronto. The Miami Heat know that keeping the winning streak alive won’t be easy. Per the AP: “No extra motivation needed when the hated Heat come to Boston. LeBron James’ 45-point masterpiece on their own floor that kept them from reaching the NBA Finals last year, Ray Allen swapping sides over the summer, and recent years of bad blood and great games would’ve had the Celtics ready Monday night. Now throw in the chance to end Miami’s 22-game winning streak. ‘If there’s any group that would be motivated in a circumstance like this, it’s that team in green,’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘I don’t know if the streak will be a big factor, but they love playing against us, and vice versa. That’s what happens when you meet a team consecutively in the playoffs. There’s a history there, and that’s what makes these games special.’ The Heat equaled the second-longest winning streak in NBA history Sunday, pulling away in the fourth quarter to beat the Toronto Raptors 108-91 back where it began on Feb. 3. Now it’s on to Boston to face the rival Celtics, who ended the last winning streak this long and have won 11 in a row at home. ‘I think we’ll be ready for it,’ Dwyane Wade said. ‘We’ve got to get our rest and we’ve got to know we’re going to have a dog fight on our hands.’ James had 22 points and 12 rebounds for his career-best 32nd double-double of the season, Wade had 24 points and nine assists, and Allen scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the defending NBA champions. ‘It’s a special ride right now that we’re on,’ James said. ‘The best thing about it is we’re doing it together.'”