Celtics 96, Hawks 77

Boston – Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds to lead Boston over Atlanta on Wednesday night and a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

Paul Pierce returned from a first-quarter knockdown to score 14 points, and Kendrick Perkins added eight points and nine rebounds for the Celtics.

Pistons 105, 76ers 88

Auburn Hills, Mich. – Rasheed Wallace scored 11 of his 16 points in the first quarter, and Detroit went on to beat Philadelphia in Game 2 to even the first-round series.

The Pistons had four scorers in double figures as it took a 17-point lead, while the 76ers had only Andre Miller, who scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half.

In their 90-86 Game 1 loss, the Pistons blew a 15-point lead they built midway through the third quarter.

Lakers 122, Nuggets 107

Los Angeles – Kobe Bryant had 49 points and 10 assists, and Los Angeles beat Denver to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. Games 3 and 4 will be in Denver on Saturday and Monday night.

Bryant, who was 18-for-27 from the field, scored 20 points in the first quarter to get the Lakers off to a fast start, and 19 over the last seven minutes to keep them safely ahead. He left with 2:02 remaining to chants of “MVP, MVP.”