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.

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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). San Antonio Spurs (50-16)

1st round foe: (8) Utah Jazz (36-30)

Biggest concern vs. Jazz: With big boys Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, Utah can cause the Spurs problems in the paint.

Last 10: 10-0 (Won 10)

Strengths: The hottest team in the NBA, the Spurs have great chemistry, Tony Parker is playing at a very high level and they’ve got one of game’s best coaches in Gregg Popovich.

Weaknesses: Still wondering if this regular-season success is a product of the schedule? Are they really as good as they appear to be? What happens if Parker gets in foul trouble early?

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At 6-foot-9, the rangy Durant is the closest thing to George Gervin since the Iceman himself ripped the NBA up with his offensive arsenal. Durant, who has five 40-point games, has put himself in the MVP race.

In today’s NBA, the scoring title is a honor for the younger guns.

See, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lead the league in scoring two seasons ago, is battling it out with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant for this season’s title. Only a tenth of a point separates the two.

James is at 29.8. Durant 29.7.

If James does in fact winning the scoring title, his block on Durant in Cleveland’s 100-99 home win against the Thunder on Jan. 23  may be the deciding factor.

Now although James is just 25 years old, he’s in his seventh NBA season.

As for Durant, he’s only 21. For a player like him, he needs to win the scoring title to start making that push to becoming one of elite players in the NBA.

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

Now check out Thursday’s Erie Times-News for our at the D-League heading into to Friday’s opening night.

With fewer jobs overseas to play basketball, more guys may have opted to play in the D-League, thus creating better competition.

We’ll see. Soon.

Kobe Bryant scored 32 points, but wasn't able to lead the Lakers past Denver in Game 2.

Orlando won in Cleveland.

So Denver decided to take one in Los Angeles.

While everyone seemingly wants to see the Lakers and Cavaliers meet in the NBA Finals so LeBron James and Kobe Bryant can duel it out, the Magic and Nuggets have other ideas.

After Orlando won Game 1 at Cleveland on Wednesday night, Denver rallied to defeat the Lakers in Game 2 Thursday, 106-103, to even the Western Conference finals series at 1-1 heading into Saturday’s Game 3 at Denver.

Having stolen home court from the Lakers, the Nuggets have a chance to take command of the series in Game 3 and 4 at home.

It’s clear Denver is more physical than the Lakers, but what’s not certain is if the Nuggets can continue to play this well under extreme pressure.

Mark Cuban touched a nerve within Kenyon Martin that hit too close to home for him.

I’ll admit it. I’m a mama’s boy.

Kenyon Martin is, too.

So when Dallas owner Mark Cuban pointed as his mom after the Mavericks lost a controversial Game 3 at home against Denver to fall down 3-0 in the Western Conference semifinals and suggested Martin was a thug, Martin got upset.

I would have, too.

The thing is this. I’ve had this debate before with people. Whenever someone talks about you in a negative light, it is a reflection of how you were raised. Not completely because every man makes his own decisions, but the root of a man typically starts with how he was raised.

That often points solely at the mother.

So while some say Martin should just drop it, it’s hard for him to do that when someone took a personal aim at his mom, even though Cuban was actually talking about Martin.

It’s all about how one takes comments. Martin didn’t take too kindly too it and is still upset.

I would be, too.

The league MVP is set to get it started against the Orlando Magic

4-for-4

That’s how I fared in predicting the Eastern Conference and Western Conference semifinal series.

Piece of cake.

I mean, Cleveland should have disposed of Atlanta, right. The Cavaliers could have broke out the brooms from the opening tip in Game 1.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a better team than Houston even with star center Yao Ming so without him, the Rockets had no chance even though they showed tremendous zeal in extending the series to seven games.

As for the Dallas Mavericks, the way they fold on a regular, anyone who thought they’d beat Denver must either be related to Dallas owner Mark Cuban or owe Cuban money.

Orlando needed a Game 7 to finally put away the Kevin Garnett-less Boston Celtics, but they did win the series.

So now, who’s going to wind up in the NBA Finals.

Did someone say Kobe and LeBron?

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Dahntay Jones and the Denver Nuggets are flying high after winning their semifinal series Wednesday night against Dallas.

The Denver Nuggets are feeling good.

Check out their swagger. I can feel it from here.

The high-flying Nuggets have gone from being just a playoff team to a world championship contender. They just put Dallas out of its misery Wednesday night, 124-110, to win their Western Conference semifinal series against the Mavericks in five games.

They will await the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series. The Lakers will likely close that out Thursday night in Houston.

If in fact the Nuggets and Lakers meet in the conference finals, that will be a great match up. Before the playoffs began, I would have said Denver has no chance to take out Lakers.

Not that I think the Nuggets are formidable enough to oust Los Anegles today, but they would push the Lakers to the limit. I love how Carmelo Anthony is rolling, the supporting cast is strong and can’t say enough about what Chauncey Billups has meant to this team.

After days of rest, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers get back at it Monday against Houston.

So far, so good.

In looking at my first-round predictions in the Western Conference of this year’s NBA playoffs, I went 3-for-4, losing only the New Orleans-Denver best-of-7 series.

I picked the Hornets mainly because I predicted they would win the NBA title before the 2008-09 season began. After a season of dealing with injuries, the Hornets were no match for the Nuggets, who has finally figured out how to play defense.

Again, some prediction, but I can at least take a bow for picking the Dallas Mavericks to upset the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets to derail the Portland Trail Blazers.

Anyway, let’s look at the Western Conference semifinal match ups. Not to give anything away, but the top two seeds should make it out the conference semifinals.

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