Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls

Lore & Background

During the season, the Heat embarked on a 27-game winning streak, which at the time ranked as the second longest winning streak in NBA history, and finished with a 66–16 record, the best record with the Big Three and a franchise best. James, Wade and Bosh were all selected for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, while James won his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award at the end of the season, just one vote shy of winning the award unanimously. On June 3, 2013, the Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals to become the first team since the Chicago Bulls in 1998 to three-peat as Eastern Conference champions. The Heat then defeated the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Finals that went the full seven games, in effect handing the Spurs their first loss in the NBA Finals, and with this victory in the NBA Finals, it echoed the 1997–98 Bulls, as they had also been the last Eastern Conference team to repeat as NBA champions.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the arena is thick, smelling of floor wax and sweat, as the final seconds tick away in a pivotal Game 7. The scoreboard glows red, a tie game that feels like an eternity. On one side, the Heat's defense swarms, their arms a tangled web of orange and black, desperate to protect a lead they've fought for all series. On the other, the Bulls stand tall, their white jerseys pristine against the chaos, eyes locked on the basket with the cold precision of a dynasty that refuses to fade. A whistle blows, sharp and final. The crowd erupts, a deafening roar that shakes the very foundations of the building. It doesn't matter who scores; in this moment, it is about which team breaks first. The history books are being written right now, inked in the blood and sweat of two franchises that have spent decades trying to bury each other.

Reader's Guide

The Heat opened the season on October 30 with a 120–107 home victory over the Boston Celtics. They concluded the regular season on April 17 with a 105–93 victory over the Orlando Magic, finishing 66–16. In the playoffs, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, the Chicago Bulls in the semifinals, and the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, then beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

Did You Know?

• The Heat went 17–1 in March 2013, becoming the first team to win 17 games in a single calendar month in NBA history.
• LeBron James became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 points on January 16, 2013.
• The Heat's 27-game winning streak was the second longest in a season in NBA history at the time.
• Udonis Haslem became the first undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in rebounding on November 21, 2012.