Miami Heat Tie Obscure NBA Record with Eight-Game Winning Streak

The Miami Heat extended their winning streak to eight games with a 104-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday evening. The club became the third team in NBA history to win at least eight games in a row when it had a record of at least 19 games below .500 when it started, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

Miami started its streak in 14th place but hadn't moved in the standings until late in the streak due to the club being so far behind in the standings. It's been a steep decline for a team that's just four seasons removed from winning its third NBA championship in franchise history.

Nearly all of the pieces from the 2012-13 championship team have departed, with only the likes of Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh remaining on the roster. However, Haslem rarely leaves the bench and Bosh hasn't played in a game this season due to health concerns.

The other two pieces of the Big Three (other than Bosh) have left town, with LeBron James heading back to the Cleveland Cavaliers and longtime Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade returning to his hometown to play for the Chicago Bulls.

While it may be difficult for the team to position itself for the playoffs this season, the group has provided some optimism for fans. Led by the likes of point guard Goran Dragic, center Hassan Whiteside and a recent resurgence of shooting guard Dion Waiters, it will be interesting to see if Miami can continue its run Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks and into the All-Star break Feb. 17-19.