Miami's Historic Win Streak Finally Ends

The streak is over. The big prize is still out there. That's what mattered most to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. The Heat's bid for NBA history ended last night when their 27-game winning streak was snapped by the Chicago Bulls, 101-97, setting off a raucous celebration inside United Center. Miami finished six shy of the 33-game record held by the 1971-'72 Los Angeles Lakers, but their run was still good for the second longest ever.

The streak began way back on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3. Now, the team's focus shifts to the post-season. "I just think the way we compete," James said, "ultimately, we want to win the NBA championship." James strove mightily to keep the streak alive last night, scoring 32 points, and even collecting a flagrant foul during a physical final few minutes as he tried to engineer a comeback. But it wasn't enough, as Luol Deng's 28 points and Carlos Boozer's 21 points and 17 rebounds carried Chicago to victory. (More NBA stories.)