By CHRIS
PERKINS
FOXSportsFlorida.com Heat
Writer
January 4,
2011
Wrapped within the Heat's 28-9 record, the franchise's best-ever 37-game start, is its 15-4 home record. The 15 home wins are tied for second-most in the NBA alongside Denver and Chicago and behind San Antonio (19 home wins).
It makes you wonder if the Heat's franchise-best 35-6 home record, accomplished by the 2004-05 squad, is within reach for this year's team.
It'd be a quite an accomplishment. To establish a record Miami would have to go 21-1 in its remaining 22 home games; to tie the record it would have to go 20-2.
However, very few things seem out of reach with the Heat having won 19 of their last 20 games. So, let's take a look at the situation.
March is the rough month. That's when the Magic (March 3), Bulls (March 6), Lakers (March 10), Spurs (March 14), Thunder (March 16) and Nuggets (March 19) visit. That's six "tough" home games in a 17-day stretch.
As for other "tough" home games Atlanta visits on Jan. 16, the next home game after the coming five-game road trip, and Boston comes to town on April 10, the final home game of the year.
So going 21-1 in the final 22 home games is asking a lot.
But let's look at it a different way. The Heat only has eight "tough" home games among its remaining 22 at the Triple-A.
You don't want to take victories for granted, but let's do it for the sake of argument. Give the Heat victories in the 14 other home games against subpar teams.
So you could say the Heat really have to go 7-1 in those eight "tough" home games to establish a franchise record of 36 home victories. If it goes 6-2, it ties the franchise record of 35 home victories.
Realistically, it's highly unlikely the Heat can establish or tie the franchise record for home wins. That ugly 6-3 start at home, which included losses to Utah (blowing an 18-point fourth-quarter lead) and Indiana, is the main reason.
The month of March also makes it rough, but the way it looks right now, if the Heat's Big Three of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh stays healthy anything is within reach.
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