Compared to the Celtics and Magic, Chicago and Miami are the playoff newbies. They each had very different teams during the 2010 NBA Playoffs and have already won twice as many games as they did a year ago (each won one).

• Miami Heat 94, Philadelphia 76ers 73 

This was the kind of game where it is painfully clear who the better players are on both sides of the floor. Miami has multiple players who can create their own offense and convert at will, while the 76ers simply do not if they are unable to get out in transition.

LeBron James won’t win the regular season MVP and it is still just two games, but his chances for a Bill Russell MVP have never looked better and he is the baddest man on the planet.

Things look bleak for the 76ers because anyone giving them a chance at making this a series expected them to steal one on the road while Miami was still ‘figuring it out’.

Andre Iguodala is a very good defensive player and this matchup is a test of his limits, but nine points over two games is unacceptable. Evan Turner was Philadelphia’s best offensive player and that is not a good sign for them.

• Chicago Bulls 96, Indiana Pacers 90

While the Pacers were able to force Derrick Rose into a lot of mid-range jumpers from the right side, he also was able to get to the rim efficiently and end up at the line for a 12-for-13 night there on his way to 36 points.

The Bulls had an eFG% deficit, posting a 41.6% compared to 45.5%, but they overcame that with an offensive rebound rate of 45.5. Nevertheless, they only had 14 second chance points compared to 15 for the Pacers on just nine offensive rebounds.

For Chicago to advance into the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond, they will need to win a lot of games like these where scoring is difficult. Luol Deng (2-for-10), Joakim Noah (2-for-10), Keith Bogans (1-for-5) and even Rose (11-for-25) struggled from the floor.

Roy Hibbert is down to two more tries to make his single-victory guarantee a reality.