Coach Erik Spoelstra said the Heat has to stay in the moment and not think about the streak.
“That’s the most dangerous thing you can do, not only in pro sports, but in life, when you start living ahead of an unknowable future when the most important time is the present time right now,” he said.
At this point, however, that’s impossible.
If the Heat get by Chicago, New Orleans and San Antonio on this three-game road trip, they come back home for the Knicks (April 2), travel to Charlotte (April 5) and then would host Philadelphia (April 6) for win No. 33.
In fact, Saturday, April 6 could be a historic night in Miami basketball history.
It could be the night the Heat tie the Lakers’ record and the night the University of Miami makes its first appearance in the Final Four.
But as Spoelstra said, that’s looking to an unknowable future. The Heat have to stay focused, and there’s no reason to think they can’t.
This team has pulled some remarkable mental feats in two-plus seasons.
After that 9-8 start two years ago, they won 21 of their next 22 games. Last year, they trailed at some point in their final three playoff series – 2-1 vs. Indianapolis, 3-2 vs. Boston and 1-0 vs. Oklahoma City – and won the next game, on the road, in each situation.
Spoelstra keeps insisting the streak isn’t the goal.
“Look, we haven’t changed,” he said, “and I know our storyline is probably a little bit too boring for you guys. You guys have a job to do. We have a job to do.
“One of the things when we first put this team together, you heard it all the time, was that we would stay disciplined to the process.”
The Heat have definitely done that. This team has been able to stay focused despite having more distractions in two-plus seasons than most organizations – except the Lakers – have in a decade.
No team in the NBA is tougher mentally than the Heat. And if they tie or surpass the Lakers’ record of 33 consecutive victories, you can be sure it’s more of a testament to their mental toughness than their physical skill.
Chris Perkins is a veteran Miami-based sports journalist who covers the Heat for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter.