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.

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(1) Chicago Bulls (50-16)

1st round foe: (8) Philadelphia 76ers (35-31).

Biggest concern vs. 76ers: Don’t have a true superstar, but enough good players to make you have to compete to beat them.

Last 10: 7-3 (Won 3)

Strengths: Defense. The Bulls lead the NBA in fewest points allowed (88.17 per game). They have front-court depth, great team chemistry and a closer in Derrick Rose.

Weaknesses: Key injuries to their two best players – Rose and Luol Deng – make them vulnerable. Although they’ve had success without Rose, in the playoffs, he’ll need to be close to 100 percent to reach NBA Finals.

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Remember Dee Brown? Classic leaner blind dunk from back in the day. Still one of the best ever in an NBA Dunk Contest.

In looking over the Erie BayHawks 2010-11 schedule, I’ve tried to figure out what are their must-see games.

The one thing that caught my eye was training camp starts Nov. 7 and ends Nov. 17. Two days later, they open the season at home against the Springfield Armor, who is coached by former NBA Slam Dunk champion, Dee Brown.

However, it’s hard to really pinpoint any of the regular-season games other than the season opener because you’ve got to see the rosters to know who’s coming to town.

Even then, by the time that team plays here, the player you wanted to see might not even be on the team. He may be in the NBA or overseas.

So I’ll try to look past that and let you know the must-see games on Erie’s schedule this season.

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If Kobe Bryant wins a sixth NBA championship next season, can he then be on share the same stage with Michael Jordan?

The Los Angeles Lakers did it again.

Having been out of town and off work since Thursday’s Game 7 the Lakers won to win back-to-back NBA titles, I just got back at it today.

Very interesting Game 7, but the better team won the game and the series.

The Lakers have the best player in Kobe Bryant, the best coach in Phil Jackson and had home-court advantage.

Got a little help when Pau Gasol traveled on that inside bucket late in the game, but if Ron Artest can hit a 3-pointer in the clutch after building  town homes with all those bricks he was hoisting from behind the arc in this series, the Lakers were destined to win the game anyway.

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Center Dwight Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson will have the same look they did after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in last year's NBA Finals if the Orlando Magic are unable to figure out the Boston Celtics in this year's playoffs.

The Boston Celtics are the runaway locomotive no one in the Eastern Conference has been able to handle in this year’s playoffs.

After beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games, the Celtics take a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday at home.

Orlando is in big trouble.

The Magic got a big scoring night from Dwight Howard (30 points on 9 of 13 shooting), but he only got eight rebounds in Tuesday’s Game 2 loss, 95-92, at home.

So Boston has proven it can beat the Orlando even if Howard goes nuts offensively.

Here’s the laundry list of  problems for Orlando.

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Dwight Howard and the Magic the only team to sweep a first round series this season.

With only one more first round series remaining (Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference ) a conference semifinal series beginning tonight (Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference) , let’s look at see how I fared in my opening round NBA playoff predictions.

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
Series result: Cavaliers win series, 4-1
Rankin prediction: Cavaliers, 4-1
Final word: Bulls just didn’t have enough to overtake LeBron James and the top-seeded Cavs.

(2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats
Series result: Magic win series, 4-0
Rankin prediction: Magic, 4-2
Final word: Even with Dwight Howard a non factor offensively, Orlando was good enough to sweep the Bobcats.

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If LeBron James' elbow goes haywire again later in this series against Boston, the schedule won't be in his favor.

Have you seen the playoff schedule for the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics starting Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland?

Take a look.

Game 1: Saturday at Cleveland, TBD (TNT)
Game 2: Monday at Cleveland, TBD (TNT)
Game 3: Friday, May 7 at Boston, TBD (ESPN)
Game 4: Sunday, May 9 at Boston, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
*Game 5: Tuesday, May, 11 at Cleveland (TNT)
*Game 6: Thursday, May 13 at Boston, TBD (ESPN)
*Game 7: Sunday, May 16 at Cleveland, 3:30 p.m. (ABC).
*If necessary.

Now I know many folks, including my guy, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, have complained about the playoff schedule in terms of too much time between games. I’d love to spend this entire blog post doing the same, but the sun is out here in Erie, Pa., so I’m going to look at this differently.

When I look at that Cavs-Celtics schedule, three things come to mind.

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Charlotte needs its new owner, Michael Jordan, to turn back the clock and play in order to beat the Orlando Magic.

Orlando is doing it without Dwight Howard scoring a ton of points and being in foul trouble.

Boston is playing like it did early in the season.

No wonder they are each a game away from sweeping their respective first-round series in the Eastern Conference.

The Magic took a 3-0 lead Saturday by winning, 90-86 at Charlotte against the Bobcats. Howard had just 13 points and fouled out in the fourth quarter after playing just 26 minutes.

As for the Celtics, they can sweep the Heat  by winning Sunday’s Game 4 in Miami. Paul Pierce gave them a 3-0 series lead by hitting a game-winning shot at the buzzer to give Boston a 100-98 win.

I was there in Cleveland and still can’t come up with the words to describe LeBron James’ ridiculous dunk on James Johnson in last night’s Game 2 win for the Cavaliers to give them a 2-0 first-round series lead on the Chicago Bulls.

Maybe you can.

Here’s a look at the D-League’s preview of the Eastern Conference.

Now the D-League is officially calling it the East Conference, but Eastern just flows off the tongue better in my opinion.

Don’t you agree?