On Tuesday night in the NBA Playoffs, there were a host of Game 2′s that yielded fairly predictable results.  Let’s take a closer look at each one:

Bucks 86, Hawks 96

Unfortunately, it was - and will continue to be - the same old story for Milwaukee.  They simply do not have the horses to contend with Atlanta.  Atlanta’s three-headed monster of Josh Smith, Al Horford and Joe Johnson combined for 68 points and shot over 60% from the floor.  Smith even added 9 assists on the night.

After a remarkable Game 1 performance, Brandon Jennings got shut down.  He shot 3-15, finishing with only 9 points and 2 assists.  The Bucks, being hindered by their lack of size, need their guards to play flawless ball.  On this night, Jennings struggled mightily.

Smith messed around and almost got a triple-double against the Bucks.

There’s absolutely no reason that the Hawks shouldn’t pull off the sweep in this series.  If they don’t, it speaks volumes as to whether this team will maintain a consistent approach to their opponents.

Heat 77, Celtics 106  

With KG suspended for Game 2, the Celtics looked much better than usual.  That’s no surprise, however, because Garnett slows the game down.  He is required to get his obligatory touches in the post, even though his offensive effectiveness is a shadow of what it used to be.  But his absence means that Boston’s most offensively talented players – Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo – get the dictate the flow of the game.  And while Pierce had a relatively pedestrian performance with 13 points, it was Allen who came on like gangbusters.  The sharpshooter nailed 7 treys, finishing the contest with 25 points on just 13 shots.  Rondo was the ultimate floor general, dishing out 12 assists. 

And what about KG’s substitute?  Glen “Big Baby” Davis played a whale of a game with 23 points and 8 boards.

A couple of days after Dwayne Wade firmly stated that the pressure was squarely placed on the Celtics, I have to ask:

Who’s feeling the pressure now?

Blazers 90, Suns 119

You just knew that the Suns were going to pick up the pieces after being stunned at home in Game 1.  Phoenix was back to their normal selves , shooting 52% for the game, moving the ball (26 assists compared to 12 for Portland) and limiting their turnovers (6).  When Grant Hill plays as efficiently as he did (10-11 FG), they are a hard bunch to stop.  Throw in Jason Richardson proving that he’s more than just a dunker, and this team can look very special.

Durant and Westbrook need to find their chemistry against the Lakers.

That being said, the Blazers are giving the Suns their moneys worth.  Winning just one of the next two games in Portland will guarantee that the Blazers will come back home for Game 6.

The Suns are going to win this series, it’s just a matter of how much energy they want to expend in the process.

Thunder 92, Lakers 95

The Thunder will get an introduction to postseason basketball.  That’s what we all thought, and we were exactly right.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, it won’t be any more than that.  The Lakers can score when they want to.  They can keep the Thunder from scoring when they want to.  Kobe Bryant woke up a bit to score 39 points, and Pau Gasol’s line (25 points, 12 rebounds) shows the dominance that the Lakers possess on the interior.

Kevin Durant did his thing with 32 points, but his eight turnovers proved to be very costly.  He and Russell Westbrook have to find a chemistry to be able to pull out a game in this series.  Westbrook has been good in this series, but he needs to be better.  He is the key to any success that the Thunder will have against Los Angeles.