Heat are rolling, but Riley cautions that there's plenty of time before playoffs

MIAMI – Miami Heat president Pat Riley has a message for all the Miami Heat fans who are already looking ahead to the playoffs and a chance for a third straight NBA championship.

Riley says that "before everybody gets excited, we got another 24 or 25 games."

The Heat (42-14) will head into Monday's home game against Charlotte winners of seven straight and 10 of 11. But with the playoffs still seven weeks away, Riley says Sunday during a Heat charity function that the races for home-court advantage are "not an objective."

Riley says the objective is to "stay on track with the defense and the rebounding and I think we'll be OK."