It all adds up to a pair of remarkable streaks in Miami and Chicago. Yet, the funny thing about these testaments to consistent success: They don't mean nearly as much if you don't come out on top in the final game of the season. In the last series of the year, the Flyers lost four games and won only two. "Streaks are wonderful," said Bob "Hound Dog" Kelly, who was part of the record-breaking, runner-up Flyers. Down in Miami, the Heat passed the halfway mark to the NBA record for consecutive wins, winning their 17th in a row Friday night with a 102-93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. In Colorado, the Blackhawks' season-opening stretch of 24 consecutive games earning at least a point finally ended with a 6-2 loss to the last-place Avalanche. Neither result mattered all that much. These teams will be measured by what they do at the end of the season, not now. The Heat are certainly mindful of that. The main number they're concerned about is 16 - the number of playoff wins it will take to capture their second straight NBA championship. They're not getting too worked up about some stellar play in March. The Blackhawks' run already came with a bit of an asterisk, because they had actually lost three games in shootouts before their first regulation setback of the season. During their streak, the Flyers won 25 games and tied 10 others. Back then, there was no overtime until the playoffs, and the shootout was still a far-off creation. No one lost. "We were just playing the game and trying to win the game," said former Flyers great Bobby Clarke, one of the leaders on that team. Pretty soon, it just stretched a long way. I don't ever recall anybody talking about the streak until that game in Boston. I don't think there was ever any time where keeping the record going was ever more important than winning the individual game we were playing in.