MIAMI -- A year ago, the Spurs-Heat matchup in the NBA Finals was considered a classic. [url=http://www.nmdhalvalla.com/adidas-

MIAMI -- A year ago, the Spurs-Heat matchup in the NBA Finals was considered a classic. Adidas NMD XR1 Ale . And now, an encore awaits. For the first time since 1998, the NBA Finals is a rematch. San Antonio and Miami will decide the leagues champion for the second straight season, the Spurs earning their spot Saturday night by beating Oklahoma City 112-107 in overtime in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. Miami -- the NBAs two-time defending champion -- eliminated Indiana from the East finals Friday night, also in six games. "The two best teams will meet," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "Were just happy and excited that were one of the best." The Spurs and Heat split two meetings this season, both winning by comfortable margins at home. Game 1 of this years Finals is Thursday night in San Antonio. "Its unbelievable to regain that focus after that devastating loss that we had last year," San Antonios Tim Duncan said. "But were back here. Were excited about it. Weve got four more to win. Well do it this time." Its the sixth trip to the Finals for San Antonio, which won titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 before falling to the Heat last season in a series that had some unbelievable drama. The Spurs held a 3-2 series lead and were leading by five points with 28.2 seconds left in Game 6 at Miami, before Ray Allens 3-pointer capped a wild rally and forced overtime, where the Heat ultimately prevailed. Miami then won Game 7, 95-88. The Heat are heading to the Finals for the fourth straight season and fifth time overall, beating Dallas in 2006, losing to the Mavericks in 2011, then topping Oklahoma City in 2012 and the Spurs last season. The Spurs -- who had the leagues best regular-season record, 62-20 -- are now the eighth franchise in league history with at least six trips to the championship round, and would be just the fourth franchise with as many as five NBA titles. "We know were facing a very talented and tough team and its going to be rough," the Spurs Manu Ginobili said. "But of course, we believe in our means and were going to do our best, as always." Both teams have a multi-time Finals MVP. Duncan has won it three times for the Spurs; LeBron James has won it twice for the Heat, and will look to join only Michael Jordan and Shaquille ONeal on the list of players to receive that award in three consecutive seasons. The last Finals rematch came in 1998 when Chicago beat Utah for the last of Jordans six championships. Adidas Gazelle Suomi . The 20-year-old Barkley, whose impressive form this season could earn him a place in Englands World Cup squad, was hurt in Evertons 4-0 win over Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup on Jan. Adidas Falcon Kengät .C. -- Only two Syracuse teams have won their first 20 games, and C. http://www.nmdhalvalla.com/adidas-nmd-r1-halvalla.html . The striker headed Spurs into a 35th-minute lead and tapped in their third in the 71st after Chico Flores own goal. Wilfried Bony hit the bar and had a good penalty appeal for a push by Tottenham captain Michael Dawson turned down in the first half, before getting Swanseas consolation late on.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Joe Dumars tried to push the Detroit Pistons back toward the playoffs with a couple of big moves last off-season. That didnt work, and now the Pistons will be hiring someone else to replace him. Detroit has decided not to renew Dumars contract as president of basketball operations, a person familiar with the situation said Sunday. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not made any announcement on Dumars future, says Dumars will remain with the Pistons as an adviser. Dumars was named the 2003 executive of the year, and the Pistons won the title the following season, adding the 2004 crown to the two they won when Dumars was a player. But Detroit hasnt made the playoffs since 2009, and the retooled Pistons flopped badly this season. Detroit has one of the games top young big men in Andre Drummond, but hes one of the franchises few bright spots at the moment. Owner Tom Gores must now hire a new general manager, and in the meantime, ownership executives Phil Norment and Bob Wentworth are expected to supervise preparations for the draft and free agency. Detroit signed Josh Smith and traded for Brandon Jennings last off-season in what seemed like a return to relevance, but the new-look roster lacked cohesion at times. Coach Maurice Cheeks was fired in February, and the Pistons are 29-52 with one game remaining. "I think overall we have a quality team as is," forward Kyle Singler said. "I dont know necessarily the formula to win, but we just werent able to get into a groove earlier on in the year to gain confidence and know that were a playoff team." Dumars began running the Pistons in 2000, and he made one shrewd move after another at first, acquiring Ben Wallace for Grant Hill in a sign-and-trade and sending Jerry Stackhouse to Washington for Richard p;Hamilton. Adidas Alphabounce Kengät. . He brought Rasheed Wallace to Detroit in another trade and signed Chauncey Billups as a free agent. Even a draft day blunder in 2003 — picking Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade with the No. 2 pick — seemed like an aberration when the Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals the following year. That title, however, is well in the past. The Pistons have played in front of sparse crowds in recent years, struggling to stay relevant in Detroit while the Tigers have drawn fans in droves to their downtown ballpark. In 2008, Dumars traded Billups in a deal that brought Allen Iverson to the Pistons. That move didnt work out, and neither did the decision to sign Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to big contracts during the 2009 off-season. Dumars and the Pistons also struggled to find the right coach. When Cheeks was hired before this season, he became Detroits ninth coach since 1999-2000. Immediately before Cheeks, Lawrence Frank and John Kuester lasted two seasons each, with little success. When Gores took over as owner after the 2010-11 season, the Pistons were undeniably in a rebuilding mode. Last off-season, Dumars had another chance to show he could guide the franchise back to contention. Instead, the Pistons have been one of the leagues most disappointing teams in 2013-14. Although Dumars is staying with the organization in some capacity, his departure as team president and general manager marks the end of an era. Drafted by the Pistons in 1985, Dumars spent his entire 14-year playing career with the franchise, winning NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. He was Detroits vice-president of player personnel during the 1999-2000 season before being promoted to president of basketball operations. AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed. ' ' '