LeBron James blew the MVP race wide open after he put up 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats in the wake of Dwyane Wade's absence. The forward led the way for Miami's eighth straight win while setting plenty of records in the process. With that over, how will the star follow things up as the Heat face the Houston Rockets who are on a hot streak of their very own?

James certainly put on a show against the Bobcats as the Heat got the 124-107 win on Monday night. He posted franchise records for points scored as he went 22 of 33 overall. He put up 25 points in the third quarter alone. He went 8 of 10 from beyond the arc while scoring 37 points in the second half altogether.

Is the secret to success in the mask? James is averaging 37.1 points on 63.7 percent shooting since breaking his nose and being forced to wear a protective shield. He may never take it off as Miami continues to cruise in the second-half of the season. The Heat are outscoring opponents by an average of 13.9 points as they keep the win streak alive.

Getting their ninth win overall against the Houston Rockets might not be difficult since the team has struggled against the Heat lately. Miami averages 112.6 points against the Western Conference in the past seven games, winning all of them. James alone has averaged 33.8 points in their last four games while Wade has put up 31.3 in that stretch.

The Rockets are on a roll. Houston has won 11 of their last 13 games, coming off a big win over the Detroit Pistons. The team enjoys playing Eastern Conference teams, especially at home. The Rockets are 17-3 against the East while being 12-0 at home against the other conference. Wade sat out Monday's game, but he plans on being active against the Rockets in order to get a big road win. 

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