Saw the Sixers-Celtics rivalry, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry and the Pistons-Bulls rivalry.

Doc choked Bird. McHale took down Rambis. Bad Boys put the Jordan Rules on M.J.

Saw the New York Knicks when they dueled with the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers in the ’90s.

Zo  and Grandmama went at it. John Starks head butted Reggie Miller.

Those were battles. Tough. Physical. Intense. The essence of playoff basketball.

What’s going on between the Heat and Pacers in this year’s Eastern Conference semifinals isn’t at that level. In fact, it’s reach a point of bush league.

Got a guy who hardly plays, Dexter Pittman, giving a bow to Lance Stephenson late in Tuesday’s Game 5 blowout win for the Heat. Stephenson surfaced in our viewfinder when he gave the choke sign after LeBron James missed a free throw.

The fact people are even saying this is in retaliation for Stephenson giving the choke sign to James shows you know how stupid it was. Pittman shouldn’t be allow to play for the remainder of the playoffs.

I have no problems with Danny Granger getting in the face of James. Hey, if you want to take down the favorite, go at the guy who makes the team go.

That’s what the Pistons did, but the difference is the Pistons went at Michael Jordan with physicality and it was part of their defensive concept to keep him out the paint.

If Indiana wants to go that route, then put James on his butt when he drives into the paint, but history has shown that can ignite the stuff of legend.

You know how Jordan got over the Pistons knocking him to the deck on the regular? He got tougher.

The Bulls got tougher.

Six rings later, Jordan is considered the greatest players ever and the Bulls of that time are considered one of the best dynasties of all time.

Maybe this will the series that ignites a run of championships for James.

Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs have won 18 consecutive games. Will the Thunder challenge them?/AP

18 wins in a row. The San Antonio Spurs are rolling.

Unbeaten in this year’s NBA playoffs, the Spurs swept the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers to reach the Western Conference finals. They’ve been unstoppable.

They haven’t been tested, either, but that’s all about to change Sunday.

Here come the Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs have the best team, but the Thunder have the two best players in the series in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in James Harden.

So make no mistake. The Spurs will lose a game in this series, but will they lose the series?

Kevin Durant has a shot to prove his greatness against the Spurs./AP Photo.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (1) San Antonio Spurs

Game 1: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. (TNT)

How they got here: Thunder def. (7) Dallas 4-0 in first round, def. (3) L.A. Lakers 4-1 in conference semifinals; San Antonio def. (6) Utah, 4-0 in first round, def. (5) L.A. Clippers 4-0 in conference semifinals.

How they REALLY got here: The Lakers blew two games and should have had a 3-1 lead heading into Monday’s Game 5 in Oklahoma City, but instead found themselves down by the same margin. Big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol didn’t impact the series as it should, leaving Mike Brown to have the task of telling Kobe Bryant to trust two guys who weren’t getting it done. Good luck with. As for the Spurs, they simply exploited the weaknesses in Blake Griffin’s game and show how championship teams close games in the fourth quarter on the road. Having Griffin and Chris Paul hurt didn’t help the Clippers, but the Spurs would have won the series even if those two were healthy.

Biggest concern for the Thunder: Tony Parker and the depth of the Spurs. Parker will make Russell Westbrook work, which may leave Westbrook’s legs weary in the fourth quarter. If the Spurs get in foul trouble, they can go to their bench and put in guys like Manu Ginobili, Stephen Jackson and Matt Bonner and not miss a beat.

Biggest concern for Spurs: Oklahoma City’s Big 3 and interior defense. The Spurs can’t contain Durant, Harden and Westbrook. So they will play less attention to one and try to stop the other two. If those three combine to average at least 75 points, the Spurs are in trouble. With Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins, the Thunder can defend the post, but can either handle  Duncan?

Series prediction: Thunder in 7. As good as the Spurs have been, they haven’t really been tested as a team. Sure Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have been, but guys like Danny Green, rookie Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter have not. What’s going to happen when they have to hit a shot that matters? The future is now for Oklahoma City and its leader, Kevin Durant, will show why he should be seriously considered the best player in the world.

On TNT, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said Indiana Pacers reserve Lance Stephenson shouldn’t have given the choke sign when LeBron James missed a free throw Thursday night in Game 3 against the Miami Heat.

The Heat lost, 94-75, before winning Game 4 Sunday to even series at 2-2.

In clip below, you’ll see at the :57 second mark Larry Bird miss two free throws in a loss to the Sixers in the 1985-86 season. Julius Erving hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer off a jump ball Barkley tipped to him.

It’s a great play by Barkley, huge shot by Dr. J., but guess who’s giving the choke sign after rebounding the second Bird miss.

Oh Charles.

Like the “Nature Boy” Rick Flair, he’s custom made from head to toe.

In debates with Skip Bayless, Smith is direct, detailed and downright devastating when on a roll.

For those who haven’t caught Smith’s face-to-face verbal battles with Bayless, Saturday Night Live’s Jay Pharoah comes about as close as one could get in impersonating ESPN’s NBA expert.

Hilarious.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade must take over or find themselves watching the NBA Finals from home./AP

60.

That’s the magic number.

With Chris Bosh out with an abdominal injury that will take 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 weeks to heal depending on who you believe, the Miami Heat need their two superstars – LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – to average at least 60 points in order for the Heat to get past the Indiana Pacers and win it all.

Right now, James and Wade are averaging a combined 46.6 points in this Eastern Conference semifinals series that the Heat are trailing 2-1 heading into Sunday’s Game 4 in Indianapolis.

James is at 27.3 a game. Wade 19.3.

That’s not enough.

In desperate times, the superstars get it done.

Ten years ago, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant showed us all how.

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were relentless leading the L.A. Lakers to three straight titles./AP Photo.

Down 3-2 in the 2002 Western Conference finals to the Sacramento Kings, Shaq and Kobe combined for 72 points to lift the Lakers to an 106-102 home victory to force a Game 7.

O’Neal had 41. Kobe 31.

In Game 7? Shad 35. Kobe 30. Lakers win 112-106 in Arco Arena to advance to the NBA Finals.

So for James and Wade, it’s pretty simple: 60 points or see you next year.

In looking back those 3-peat Lakers (2000-02),  O’Neal and Bryant weren’t nearly the buds James and Wade are. In fact, they grew to dislike each other, but won three titles by following the most important thing in the sport – putting the ball in the basket.

In 2000, Shaq averaged 30.7 points in the postseason, Kobe put up 21.1. In the finals, the two combined to average 57.4 to lead the Lakers to a 4-2 series win against the Pacers.

O’Neal averaged 38 points in the finals.

It's time for James to strike fear in his foes./AP.

People forget how dominate the big fella was, but it’s time for James to take the same approach O’Neal did – you can’t stop me.

Punish the defense, get to the free throw line and impose his will. James has to establish the idea that no matter how physical the Pacers get, he can’t be hurt.

Now in 2000, the Lakers had Glen Rice, who could still score, but Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Rick Fox and Ron Harper were role guys. They even had A.C. Green, who was way past his prime.

Sure those guys hit big shots, but they were wide open looks because the defense was so concerned with stopping Bryant and O’Neal.

So when I hear people say Miami lacks talent around James and Wade with Bosh out, it’s not like O’Neal and Bryant had a bunch of Hall of Famers around them, either.

In the 2001 playoffs, O’Neal averaged 30.4 points and Bryant went for 29.4 a game. In the finals when the Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers in five games, Shaq and Kobe combined to average 57.6.

O’Neal averaged 33 and Bryant put up 24.6.

Chris Webber and the Sacramento Kings pushed the Lakers to seven games, but O'Neal and Bryant were too much./AP.

The following year, Shaq and Kobe had arguably their toughest series during the 3-peat run against Sacramento, which had the NBA’s best record.

Led by Chris Webber and Mike Bibby, the Kings were an offensive machine. They weren’t the “Sacramento Queens” as O’Neal had said the following season.

So outside of a Horry game-winning 3-pointer that evened the series 2-2, Shaq and Kobe did most of the damage to the Kings.

The two combined to average 57.3 points with O’Neal averaging 30.2 a game.

For the playoffs, O’Neal averaged 28.5 points, Bryant 26.6. In the finals, they combined to average 63 as the Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets.

O’Neal 36.25. Bryant. 26.75.

Wade isn't healthy, but must muster up more scoring punch if the Miami Heat are going to advance past the Indiana Pacers./AP

Now with the injuries Wade seems to be playing with, he may not be up to averaging 30, but if he could just come up with 25 or 26 like Bryant did, that would suffice. James could go for 35.

The problem is this for the Heat.

We can look at all the numbers, but the reality is O’Neal and Bryant both had the mentality that they could go for 30 anytime they wanted. In many ways, they took a selfish approach to scoring.

Great scorers take shots that aren’t open. They force shots. They take difficult shots.

And why not?

I’d rather have O’Neal and Bryant taking a shot against a double team than kicking the ball to  Devean George, Samaki Walker or Stanislav Medvedenko for an open jumper.

That’s why O’Neal and Bryant are considered two of the best ever. That’s why they’ve won a combined nine NBA titles.

They’re great, knew it (Kobe still is) and wanted the whole world to know it.

For all his greatness, James isn’t built that way. The three-time NBA MVP wants to make the right play all the time.

You think Kobe and Shaq made the right play all the time? They made the best play for their team and that often was taking shots because every time they didn’t, Fox was jacking an ill advised 3 or Medvedenko was fumbling the ball out of bounds.

And right now, the best play for James is to go for 35 to 40 points a night. D-Wade has the scorer’s mentality, but his body may not be up to taking on that role.

Regardless, if those two don’t become more offensive minded, the Heat are going down sooner rather than later.

60 or see you next year.

San Antonio's Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich may be the NBA's best point guard-coach duo./AP Photo

The debate is finally going to be settled where it should be settled – on the court.

Chris Paul and Tony Parker are considered two of the top five point guards in the NBA along with Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo.

Some say they’re the top two. They’re generals in their own way.

Paul leads and motivates the Los Angeles Clippers with an iron hand, is the mayor of Lob City and closes games with great decision making and precision.

Parker leads and motivates the San Antonio Spurs with flair and creativity, gets to the rim at will and leads an offense that is arguably the most potent in the NBA.

The question is which one will do more to help their team get one step closer to the NBA Finals?

Will that ultimately determine who’s better? No, but people can use the results of this series as a barometer to pick one over the other.

With Chris Paul, the L.A. Clippers are no longer the NBA's laughing stock, but they will fall to the Spurs./AP Photo

(5) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (1) San Antonio Spurs

Game 1: Today, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)

How they got here: L.A. Clippers def (4) Memphis, 4-3, San Antonio def. (6) Utah, 4-0.

How they REALLY got here: When the Clippers came back from a 27-point deficit to beat the Grizzlies in Game 1 in Memphis, it put a seed of doubt in the Grizzlies and gave the Clips the confidence it could win the series.  Hard to come back from that if the teams are evenly matched. As for San Antonio, this was a case in which the Spurs had a better team and Utah had to fight to get in the playoffs. The Jazz were going to lose the series anyway, but getting blown out in Game 1 and Game 2 in San Antonio sent the message they had no chance of winning the series.

Biggest concern for the Clippers: Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich. Parker and Popovich may be the best point guard-head coach tandem in the NBA. Pop is going to make the necessary adjustments during the games, not just after the games. Parker is playing his best basketball of his career on a team that has a healthy Manu Ginobili and a rejuvenated Tim Duncan.

Biggest concern for Spurs: Chris Paul and the Clippers fast-break game. If Paul comes out aggressive in Game 1 and gets Parker in foul trouble early, that could set a tone for the series. While San Antonio has traditionally been defensive oriented, it likes to run and gun more than it ever has under Popovich. Can they run against the Clippers?

Series prediction: Spurs in 6. The Clippers are just in the early stages of becoming a championship contender. Paul is a great cornerstone to make a four to five-year run at a title, but the Spurs are too balanced for Los Angeles. They’ve won their last 14 games, have three superstars and their role players truly understand and thrive in their roles. The Clippers are on the rise, but the Spurs are already there.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol better be up to the challenge of Kendrick Perkins (5) and Serge Ibaka or else./AP Photo.

Denver pushed them to the brink.

The Los Angeles Lakers needed a Game 7 at home and the return of Metta World Peace to outlast the Nuggets and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Up next? Durant. Westbrook. Harden.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have their Big 3 – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden - muscle and shot blocking on the inside and depth at power forward and center positions.

What they don’t have is Kobe Bryant, who in his 16th season is still the game’s best closer.

As great as Bryant is, he’ll need help to get past the Thunder.

Paging Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

By the way, watch the elbows World Peace and watch out for them Harden.

Kobe Bryant will have a tougher time scoring in the paint against the Oklahoma City Thunder's size./AP Photo.

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

Game 1: Today, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)

How they got here: Oklahoma City def (7) Dallas, 4-0, L.A. Lakers def. (6) Denver, 4-3.

How they REALLY got here: Not only did they fail to contain Durant, Westbrook or Harden, the Mavs didn’t get the kind of balanced scoring necessary to make the Thunder have to defend their entire offense. Having Durant hit a game winner in Game 1 seemed to take the life out of the defending champions. As for the Lakers, their big men – Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol - were back and forth and Aaliyah, but came around in Game 7 to seal the series. The Nuggets gave the Lakers trouble because they can score in transition and had active big men, but not having a go-to player cost them.

Biggest concern for the Lakers: Matching up with Westbrook at Harden and their own big men. Will the Lakers be able to keep Harden and Westbrook out of the paint. If Bynum and Gasol don’t play big, it’s a wrap for the Lakers.

Biggest concern for Thunder: Close games and Bryant. The two go hand and hand. If the games are close in the last four minutes, who will the Thunder go to down the stretch and can they stop Bryant in those situations?

Series prediction: Thunder in 6. As tough as it is to go against Bryant, the Lakers need more from others to get past Oklahoma City. The thing about the Thunder is they have the bigs to match up defensively against Bynum and Gasol. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins won’t disappear defensively. We’ve seen the Laker bigs comes and go. Even though the Thunder are still learning how to close out games, they’re getting better at it. Losing 114-106 in double overtime April 22 at Los Angeles taught the Thunder a lesson. They won’t let history repeat itself.

Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies couldn't come back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the L.A. Clippers./AP Photo.

Not bad. Not bad.

With the Los Angeles Clipppers beating the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 7 Sunday to advance to the Western Conference semifinals, all the first-round series are complete. I finished 6-2 in predicting the first round.

Eastern Conference

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers.
Prediction: Bulls in 5
Outcome: Sixers in 6.
What happpened: Derrick Rose got hurt. Joakim Noah got hurt. Bulls didn’t have enough.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks
Prediction: Heat in 6
Outcome: Heat in 5
What happened: Knicks not ready as a team to seriously challenge Miami.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic
Prediction: Pacers in 5
Outcome: Pacers in 5
What happened: Without Dwight Howard, Magic had no shot to win this series.

Kevin Garnett played big in leading the Celtics past the Hawks in the series-clinching Game 6./AP Photo

(4) Boston Celtics  vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
Prediction: Celtics in 6
Outcome: Celtics in 6
What happened: Atlanta’s inability to finish games well proved costly.

Western Conference

(1) San Antonio Spurs  vs. (8) Utah Jazz
Prediction: Spurs in 5
Outcome: Spurs in 4
What happened: The Spurs were just too tough. Have won 14 straight games.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks
Prediction: Thunder in 5
Outcome: Thunder in 4
What happened: The 2011 NBA champions had no answers for Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook or James Harden.

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets
Prediction: Lakers in 6
Outcome: Lakers in 7
What happened: The Nuggets exposed a glaring weaknesses of the Lakers (defending a fast-break team), but not having a go-to play cost them in Game 7.

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
Prediction: Grizzlies in 6
Outcome: Clippers in 7
What happened: After blowing a 27-point lead in Game 1, Memphis had to battle uphill to force Game 7 and just didn’t execute down the stretch Sunday.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James (w/headband) are eying an NBA title, but Indiana is doing the same./AP Photo.

It’s just a formality.

The Indiana Pacers will be just a footnote in their storybook championship journey. Just another team the Miami Heat had to beat because they’re going to win it all right?

Right?

They’ve got the game’s best player in LeBron James, who won his third NBA MVP today.

They’ve got the league’s second and third best option in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, respectively.

And they don’t have to contend with the Chicago Bulls, who lost Derrick Rose to a season-ending injury and their first-round series to the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

The road is paved for Miami to take it all. Indiana is just a speed bump in the road right?

Right?

Roy Hibbert and the Indiana Pacers had their way with the Orlando Magic in the first round. Won't be so easy against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals./AP Photo.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (2) Miami Heat

Game 1: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

How they got here: Indiana def. (5) Orlando, 4-1; Miami def. (1) New York, 4-1.

How they REALLY got here: Without Dwight Howard (back), the Magic didn’t stand a chance in beating the Pacers. Had a difficult time scoring without the big fella drawing a double team to free up their shooters. Plus with the “coach-said-player-said” relationship Howard and Stan Van Gundy had, nothing good was going to come out of it. As for Miami, it has a team. The Knicks are trying to become one. The Heat should have swept the Knicks, but took them out as expected.

Biggest concern for Pacers: Keeping the Heat out of transition and closing out games. Although the Pacers have youth, they must take care of the ball to force Miami to play half court.

Biggest concern for Heat: Indiana’s depth, particularly on the inside, and personality. Led by 7-footer Roy Hibbert, Indiana can hurt Miami on the offensive glass. The Pacers won’t back down.

Series prediction: Heat in 6. Indiana is a great closer away from being right there with Miami. Doesn’t have to be a superstar, but someone who can hit tough shots down the stretch. Miami has that with James and Wade. Still, Indiana will make this a competitive series. If the Heat easily take care of Game 1, which is highly possible, they can’t relax and think this series will be a cakewalk. The Magic took Game 1 against Indiana, but lost the final four.

Up next for Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics? An familiar rival. The Philadelphia 76ers./AP Photo.

Whenever these two teams met in the 1980s, it was classic.

Bird vs. Dr. J. McHale vs. Barkley. Moses vs. Parish.

Go back even further to the 1960s. Legends emerged.

Wilt vs. Russell. Havlicek vs. Greer. Jones vs. Walker.

On Saturday, the Sixers and Celtics will renew their rivalry in the Eastern Conference semifinals as the two teams haven’t faced each in the postseason since 2002 when the first round was still a best-of-5 series.

Boston won 3-2.

Who will take this series and likely face Miami in the conference finals?

Go Green.

The Sixers need Andre Iguodala to play big in order to get past Boston./AP Photo

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers

Game 1: Saturday, 8 p.m. (TNT)

How they got here: Boston def. (5) Atlanta, 4-2; Philadelphia def. (1) Chicago, 4-2.

How they REALLY got here: The Hawks simply don’t know how to win close games on a consistent basis to beat a savvy team like Boston. As for the Bulls, they were going to have a tough enough time trying to beat the Sixers when Derrick Rose went down with a season-ending knee injury in Game 1. When Joakim Noah hurt his ankle, the Bulls were bound to lose the series.

Biggest concern for Sixers: Handling Rajon Rondo and Boston’s experience. Boston’s Big 3 is still capable as Kevin Garnett showed in Game 6 against the Hawks.

Biggest concern for Celtics: Philadelphia’s growing confidence and depth. The 76ers don’t have a true superstar, but got plenty of active guys who get after it.

Series prediction: Celtics in 6. Wouldn’t be surprised if the series is 2-2 heading into a Game 5 in Boston, but if that occurs, the Celtics would win the final two with the latter one being in Philly.  If the Sixers shoot as poorly as they did against Chicago against Boston, they will get swept.