LeBron James and the Miami Heat enter the 2012 season with the monkey off their back, having won the NBA Championship in June. In the NBA 2K13 sim, the Heat didn’t suffer any sort of letdown after their title. Behind the Big Three and future Hall of Famer Ray Allen, the Heat finished with a 62-20 record, good for homecourt advantage through the Eastern Conference Playoffs. LeBron was his typical brilliant self, scoring 25 points a game with a career-high 54% field goal percentage.

You didn’t expect the Lakers to stand pat after last year’s playoff exit, did you? After their loss to the Thunder, the Lakers acquired two of the game’s best players in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. All Howard did in the NBA 2K13 sim was average 25 points and 12 rebounds while taking home Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Lakers matched Miami’s record of 62-20, but claimed much-needed home court advantage through the playoffs by virtue of their two close wins over the Heat.

Conference Standings

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers 62-20
2. Oklahoma City Thunder 61-21
3. San Antonio Spurs 57-25
4. Los Angeles Clippers 53-29
5. Denver Nuggets 50-32
6. Memphis Grizzlies 47-35
7. Golden State Warriors 44-38
8. Minnesota Timberwolves 43-39

Eastern Conference

1. Miami Heat 62-20
2. Indiana Pacers 52-30
3. New York Knicks 48-34
4. Boston Celtics 46-36
5. Chicago Bulls 45-37
6. Brooklyn Nets 41-41
7. Milwaukee Bucks 39-43
8. Philadelphia 76ers 38-44

The Playoffs

The top-seeded teams in the Western Conference all advanced easily with the exception of the Clippers, who had to survive a seven-game series against the Nuggets. The Battle for Los Angeles lived up to the hype, with the Lakers needing seven to outlast the Clippers. In a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, the Thunder defeated the Spurs in the same six games it took them last year.

Out east, much of the same. The 1-4 seeds advanced out of the first round, renewing a couple of old rivalries in the past: Heat-Bulls and Pacers-Knicks. The Heat’s balance was too much for the Rose-reliant Bulls, defeating them in five games. And in the only upset of the conference semifinals, the Knicks overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Pacers in seven games. Carmelo Anthony scored 39 for New York in the decisive game seven.

This set up starpower galore in the Conference Finals: Lakers-Thunder and Heat-Knicks.

For the Lakers, it was the chance to avenge last year’s defeat to the younger, more athletic Thunder. For the Thunder, they were hoping to get back to the NBA Finals. The series did not disappoint, as four of the series’ seven games came down to the final possession. In the end, it was too much Los Angeles. Dwight Howard’s 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks combined with Kobe’s 26 was enough for the Lakers to get back to the NBA Finals.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat advanced to their third consecutive NBA Finals with a five-game win over the Knicks. Coming back to the Garden down 2-0, the Knicks were able to take game three behind Carmelo Anthony’s 36. But the Heat regained control and took the series in five, led by LeBron’s 40 in the clincher.

This set up the NBA Finals matchup that many fans around the world wanted: Lakers vs. Heat, with Kobe and LeBron squaring off for the first time in an NBA Finals. Based on their two head-to-head wins in the regular season, Los Angeles had home court advantage in the series despite identical 62-20 records. But that advantage was short-lived, as the Heat stole game one at Staples Center, and led the series 3-2 after taking two of three in Miami. But much like the 2010 Finals, the Lakers were able to make good on their home court advantage and took the series in seven. Kobe Bryant’s game-high 28 points were enough to win him a sixth title and bring the Lakers their 17th NBA championship.