As the temperature rises from the brutal South Florida winter, so is the Miami Heat who is riding a nine game winning streak closing out the regular season. With their 99-95 win over the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers, Miami has won 15 of their last 18 games coming down the home stretch.

The Heat is now vying for fifth or sixth place in the Eastern Conference closing out the season against the Pistons, Knicks, 76ers and league-worst Nets to decide whether they will play Boston or Atlanta in a best-of-seven series.

Although most of the Heat wins are against homeward bound teams, playing solid defense the heat have also defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks.

The heat will credit their surge to their defense as they now ranked atop the league in field-goal percentage defense and second in points per game allowed, playing good team defense especially down the stretch.