Aside from the fierce Bulls who still held the Eastern Conference top spot, the Heat Team, after moving LeBron James to the bench, also displayed a terrifying momentum. Prior to January, they hadn't won a single game, but following LeBron's move to the bench, they didn't lose a single match, stringing together an impressive "8-game winning streak."
The team's ferocious form appeared to purify the previously stormy public opinion climate in Miami.
Most media forgave LeBron's "kneel-down" at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, believing he had become an indispensable part of the Heat Team, playing an important role off the bench.
It made sense, as the Heat Team became the team with the most formidable bench firepower, leading the league with an average of 31.4 points from their bench in the second half of January.
Of course, most of those points came from LeBron James.