Will the Heat Top the 1971-1972 Lakers 33-Game Win Streak?

The Miami Heat extended their winning streak to 27 games with a 108-94 victory over the Orlando Magic on March 25.

In dispatching the Magic, the Heat moved within six victories of tying the Los Angeles Lakers record of 33 consecutive wins, a feat that was accomplished during the 1971-1972 campaign.

Not only is the Heat’s streak the second longest in NBA history, it is also the second longest streak in the history of North American professional sports.

With that being said, is there any team that can prevent Miami from breaking a record that has stood more than 40 years?

Let’s take a quick glance to see how the Heat will fare against its upcoming opponents.

Chicago Bulls

The last time these two teams faced off was February 21. After a back-and-forth battle in the opening quarter, the Heat eventually pulled away for an 86-67 win.

The Bulls are banged up right now to say the least, but they have posted back-to-back wins against the Indiana Pacers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In addition to that, the Bulls are 6-3 against the Heat during the regular season under Tom Thibodeau and the teams have split the last 14 meetings, including the playoffs.  

The x-factor in this match-up will be the health of Joakim Noah, who has sat out the last two games due to plantar fasciitis. 

Without Noah defending the paint, it will be difficult for Chicago to keep LeBron James and Co. on the perimeter.

New Orelans Hornets

Miami defeated New Orleans in their only meeting of the season in a 106-90 win back in December.

While the Hornets should not prove to be much of a challenge for Miami, they did snap the Denver Nuggets 15-game winning streak so that speaks to the fact that anything can happen on a given night.

However, in watching how the Heat have played during its winning streak, it is difficult to see the Hornets keeping the Heat in check for an entire game.

San Antonio Spurs

Out of all the teams on the schedule, the Spurs will be the toughest challenge for the Heat.

San Antonio has only lost four games at home and they nearly beat Miami on its home floor earlier this season despite the absences of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

The Spurs are sound offensively, as their 25 assists per game average would indicate and the Heat tend to struggle against teams who can move the ball effectively.

If this game is close in the waning moments, the Spurs will be the team to end Miami's historic run at the Lakers' record.

New York Knicks

The Knicks have taken two of the three meetings between the two teams, so they could prove to be a formidable opponent.

More importantly, the Knicks won by 20 points in both of their wins over the Heat this season.

The one factor that plays into Miami's favor in this one is they defeated the Knicks 99-93 in Madison Square Garden despite trailing by 16 points.

With Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, it is always difficult to count the Knicks out from an offensive standpoint.

However, will they be able to get defensive stops down the stretch in a close game? If I was a betting man, my money would be on the Heat in this one.

Charlotte Bobcats

I am going to keep this one short and to the point.

The Bobcats are the worst team in the league at 16-54 and their last encounter with the Heat was not a pleasant one.

Miami defeated defeated Charlotte 109-77 on March 24 and I expect more of the same this time around as well.

Philadelphia 76ers

At this point of the season, the Sixers are pretty much out of the playoff picture, so the only thing they will be playing for is pride in this one.

Miami has beaten Philadelphia in each of their three previous meetings this season and barring a major catastrophe, the Heat should tie the Lakers' record with a home win over the Sixers.

Milwaukee Bucks

If both teams remain in their current spots in the Eastern Conference, this game will serve as a preview for the first round of the playoffs.

The Heat have taken two of three games from the Bucks this year, but Milwaukee did notch an impressive 104-85 win over Miami back in December.

That said, the Bucks are not a team that Miami should take lightly.

This time around, with a chance of adding its name to the history books, the Heat will come out on top in this one, breaking the all-time record for most consecutive wins in a season.