Heat head to Boston looking to make it 23 in a row

No extra motivation needed when the hated Heat come to Boston. Lebron James’ 45-point masterpiece on their own floor that kept them from reaching the NBA Finals last year, Ray Allen swapping sides over the summer, and recent years of bad blood and great games would've had the Celtics ready Monday night. Now throw in the chance to end Miami's 22-game winning streak. The heat equaled the second-longest  winning streak in NBA history Sunday, pulling, away in the fourth quarter to beat the Toronto Raptors 108-91 back where it began on Feb. 3. Now it's on to Boston to face the rival Celtics, who ended the last winning streak this long and have won 11 in a row at home. James had 22 points and 12 rebounds for his career-best 32nd double-double of the season, Wade had 24 points and nine assists, and Allen scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the defending NBA champions. Chris Bosh finished with 18 points as the Heat matched the 22 consecutive wins recorded by the 2007-08 Houston Rockets. The NBA's longest streak is 33 games, set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. The teams have become regular postseason opponents, Miami knocking Boston out in both years since James and Bosh signed with the Heat in 2010. It took James' epic performance to help the Heat do it last year, when the Celtics had a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat have faced the Celtics twice so far this season. They blew out Boston 120-107 in Miami on opening night, then lost 100-98 in double-overtime on the road on Jan. 27, the day Boston learned that Rajon Rondo needed knee surgery. Winners of two straight, the Celtics may be without veteran forward Kevin Garnett on Monday. The 15-time All-Star sat out Saturday's victory over Bobcats with a strained left thigh and is day-to-day. Miami blew it open Sunday behind Allen's 3-point shooting after Toronto tied it at 77 early in the fourth quarter.