The Boston Celtics didn't miss Kevin Garnett at all, not the way Glen Davis filled in to lead them to a 106-77 win over visiting Miami on Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in their playoff series.
With Garnett serving a one-game suspension for elbowing Quentin Richardson in Game 1, Davis started and had 23 points and eight rebounds, going aggressively to the basket to grab missed shots and draw fouls.
The Heat took a 29-25 lead on a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal. But the Celtics used a 44-8 surge over the next 161/2 minutes to go ahead 69-37, capped by one of Ray Allen's five 3-pointers in the third quarter. Allen led the Celtics with 25 points, while Dwyane Wade scored 29 for the Heat.
Game 3 is Friday night in Miami.
Also late Tuesday
Hawks 96, Bucks 86: Joe Johnson took control in the fourth quarter to finish off a 27-point effort, Josh Smith finished one assist shy of a triple-double and host Atlanta ran away from pesky but outmanned Milwaukee.
John Salmons scored 21 points, and Ersan Ilyasova came up big off the bench with 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks.
Lakers 95, Thunder 92: Kobe Bryant scored 39 points, carrying the Lakers in the fourth quarter when they lost the lead three times, and host Los Angeles beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference playoff series.
Bryant was 13-of-15 from the free-throw line, but just 12-of-28 from the floor in front of his dad Joe, who sat next to the Lakers' bench.
Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points, and Russell Westbrook added 19, making all eight of his free throws.
Game 3 is today in Oklahoma City. The Lakers are 39-1 all-time when winning first two games of a best-of-seven series.
Suns 119, Trail Blazers 90: Jason Richardson scored 29 points, Grant Hill made 10 of 11 shots for 20, and host Phoenix rediscovered its high-energy style to square its first-round playoff series at one game apiece.
Martell Webster led the Blazers with 16 points.
The series shifts to Portland for Game 3 tonight.
Notes
Brooks named coach of the year: Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks has been named the NBA's coach of the year after engineering the league's best turnaround.
The Thunder won 27 more games this season than it did a year ago, going 50-32 and earning the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs with the NBA's youngest roster.
Milwaukee's Scott Skiles finished second and Portland's Nate McMillan third.
Polynice leaves Mississippi for NBA: Mississippi guard Eniel Polynice has declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft and will not return for his final season with the Rebels.
