NBA News 2010: Which Eastern Conference team is the Lakers' strongest challenger?

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Which Eastern Conference team has the best chance to beat the Lakers in a seven-game series? 

The Results: 

Boston: 9 votes 

Miami: 3 votes 

Orlando: 1 vote 

My Take: Miami... Boston... Miami... Boston. On the one hand, hype notwithstanding I do feel Miami will finish the season as the Eastern Conference's top seed. On the other, until I see how they stand up to a strong front court, can you say they're a bigger threat to L.A. than the Celtics? I'll take Pau Gasol on both ends vs. Chris Bosh, and what does Miami do with Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum? Maybe I'm just trying not to grant too much, too fast to the Heat, but the playoffs are about matchups, and Boston still lines up better against the Lakers. 

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/10365/experts-panel-which-eastern-conference-team-is-the-lakers-strongest-challenger

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