Heat Warming Up Finally?

After watching the Heat-Cavs game, well the first three quarters anyway, I was left with only one thought. It wasn't LeBron's dominating performance, or D Wade's near triple double while coming to the side of his SuperFriend teammate, and it wasn't the way LeBron toyed with the entire Cavs team and fans by mocking them during the game.

I was left with a more simple feeling... uh oh.

It's almost as if the Heat were sleeping giants looking for a real challenge. Sure they've lost some games they shouldn't have this season (Indy, Memphis), but they kept towing the company line throughout the first 19 games of the season. It was going to take time and they'd eventually figure it out. After they got waxed playing the Mavericks to fall to 9-8 there was an apparent team meeting that most media pundits are pointing out as the turning point. I don't think that team meeting meant much of anything unless the topic of the conversation was, "We need to figure this out by the time we go to Cleveland."

The Cleveland game finally forced the Heat to bond over something larger and more important than the lofty expectations placed on them at the start of the season. Even during their 'Hollywood' introduction to Miami they never said they wanted to challenge the Bulls 72 win season. All they talked about was winning more and more championships. Why worry in the beginning of the season when a championship is all this team will be measured by come season's end? But the Cleveland game meant something more to at least one of the Big Three. A lack luster performance, even in victory, would've subjugated LeBron and the Heat to even more questions and even more pressure leading in to their Christmas Day game versus the Lakers. Imagine if they would've some how lost to the Cavs?! With neither of these an option the Heat came together and played their most inspired basketball of the season, cutting the hearts out of the city of Cleveland in the process.

Now the 'heat' is off the Big Three for a few weeks before the much-hyped match up versus LA. They can fly slightly under the radar now at 13-8 after passing their biggest obstacle of the young season. Yes, they've played the Celtics twice and the Magic once, but this Heat team will be measured by how it does in the playoffs versus the Eastern Conference favorites. The Cavs, Knicks and Lakers games will provide the most hype and build up during the regular season. After watching their performance, LeBron's specifically, I'm now terrified for the Heat's first game at MSG this season on Friday, December 17th. I was mildly excited before the Cavs game and even pining for an upset after the Knicks recent winning streak.

Now? All I can think is... uh oh.