LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – LeBron James vs. the Heat.Pat Riley vs. the Lakers.Get ready for the NBA Finals — a title series like none other, to end a season like none other.The matchup is set, with the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers emerging as the last two teams standing in the chase to be crowned champions of the most tumultuous season in NBA history.
The Heat won the Eastern Conference title Sunday night, finishing off Boston a day after the Lakers won the Western Conference crown.So, for the first time — well, excluding the league’s inaugural season — two franchises that missed the playoffs the previous season will meet in the NBA Finals.