The Miami Heat have done everything they needed to earn home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and now will focus on remaining healthy for their final two games of the season. The first takes place Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET.
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Via ESPN:
Miami's latest high mark in a season full of them came Sunday with its 105-93 victory over Chicago. The Heat (66-14) set a franchise mark with their 36th home win and further extended their team record for overall victories in a single season. They will be the top seed in the East playoffs next weekend when their bid to repeat as NBA champions starts with a best-of-seven series against the Bucks.
LeBron James, who said he was "leaning toward" not playing against his former team Monday, already had a stellar effort in Cleveland further tormenting his former fan base on March 20. He totaled 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as Miami rallied from a 27-point third-quarter deficit for a 98-95 victory as part of its 27-game win streak.
That game also had a bizarre sequence in which a fan rushed onto the court during the fourth quarter in a bid to appeal to James to return to Cleveland when he is eligible for free agency in 2014. James, who patted the fan on the head before he was taken by security, noted the fan "said he missed me and come back, please."
Resting James, who is among the league leaders in minutes played, also has taken on a new dimension following the season-ending Achilles injury to Lakers star Kobe Bryant. James, though, insists he doesn't worry about such an injury any time he takes the court.
"The opportunity is there," he said. "There's going to be a time when you can't play the game at all because Father Time has caught up with you. So you've got to try to do as much as you can while you can."
