Xavier Henry and Pau Gasol lead the Lakers over the Hawks. (GETTY IMAGES)

Pau Gasol sank a couple of free throws with 5.2 seconds left to help the Los Angeles Lakers secure a 105-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center on Sunday night.

Gasol was fouled as he went up for a close shot.

“Pau got a great look,” point guard Steve Nash told Time Warner Cable SportsNet. “Jordan Hill, he’s been huge for us.” Nash had his best game of the season with 13 points and six assists in 29 minutes of action, the most he has played this season.

Gasol had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers. In his first start of the season, Xavier Henry scored a game-high 18 points and looked like he might be the starter at shooting guard until Kobe Bryant returns from his Achilles injury.

L.A. dominated for most of the game, but Atlanta went on a 27-15 run during the fourth quarter to tie the game at 103 with 35 seconds to play in the game.

“We have a lot of stuff to get better at,” Mike D’Antoni said. “We have had flashes where we play really well and start with a lot of energy, but then we get selfish. We have to continue to move the ball.”

The Lakers bench had another good game as they contributed 48 points, led by Nick Young’s 13 points (on 5-of-9 shooting). Chris Kaman chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds. Wesley Johnson had nine points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Eleven players scored in the game. Jordan Hill had six points and five rebounds in just 14 minutes, but he was all over the boards and his energy seemed infectious.

Kyle Korver was on fire, and hotter than a firecracker on Fourth of July for the Hawks. He made eight of 10 field goals, including all six of his 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 22 points. L.A. struggled to defend him and didn’t get a hand in his face on his jump shots. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap each scored 14 points.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Things could get real physical between Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Eastern Conference playoffs, also known as the Miami Heat Invitation, will tipoff this weekend with games on TNT and ESPN. Even though teams in the East may not have the same offensive firepower as teams in the West there are still some very intriguing playoff matchups worth watching. Here’s how the first round could unfold:

FIRST ROUND
(1) MIAMI HEAT vs. (8) MILWAUKEE BUCKS
The Heat are just too loaded with talent to have much trouble with the Bucks. Milwaukee has an excellent guard rotation with Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick and that’s their best chance at trying to pull off an epic upset. However, the Heat have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who are looking for another NBA title. Prediction: Heat in 4

(2) NEW YORK KNICKS VS. (7) BOSTON CELTICS
Carmelo Anthony averaged 36.9 points in the last eight regular-season games, and is heating up at the right time of year. J.R. Smith averaged 22 points over the same stretch and this dynamic duo give the Knicks the scoring punch they need to take out an aging Celtics team that is without point guard Rajon Rondo and has a gimpy Kevin Garnett in the starting lineup. Prediction: Knicks in 5

(3) INDIANA PACERS VS. (6) ATLANTA HAWKS
The Pacers finished the regular season losing five of their last six games, not exactly finishing strong. It’s quite possible they miss Danny Granger’s presence and I think they will struggle against the Hawks. Atlanta has a solid frontcourt in Josh Smith and Al Horford. I think the Pacers will win the series because of Paul George’s ability to step up and continue his amazing season. Prediction: Pacers in 7

(4) BROOKLYN NETS VS. (5) CHICAGO BULLS
This is the most intriguing matchup of the first round. The Nets closed out the regular season by winning seven of their last 10 games and are playing well. But their bench is a cause for concern. Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson will score the bulk of the points, but they can’t play 48 minutes. Gerald Wallace signed a big contract in the offseason, but is limited offensively and does his best work on defense. The Bulls had a pretty good year, despite playing without Derrick Rose. The Bulls’ defense allowed just 92.9 points per game, third-best in the NBA and they can slow down the Nets. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s team defense is a great equalizer and the Bulls will play it to perfection. Prediction: Nets in 6

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant didn’t like the way Hawks guard Dahntay Jones slid under him on his last-second shot. (GETTY IMAGES)

Kobe Bryant, ever the competitor, was steaming after the Lakers-Hawks game Wednesday a game won by the Hawks. The fact that the Lakers lost wasn’t lost on Bryant. What made him extra hot was the play Dahntay Jones made late in the game that Kobe thought was dangerous and borderline dirty.

“I can’t get my mind past the fact that I’ve got to wait a year to get revenge,” Bryant told reporters after he severely sprained his ankle and blamed Jones for sliding underneath him after he went up for the potential game-tying shot. In so many words, Kobe basically threw down the gauntlet on Jones and Hawks next season when the Lakers face the Hawks again.

”First and foremost, the officials really need to protect shooters,” Bryant said. ”You just can’t go into shooters. That’s a dangerous play.”

The injury occurred with the Lakers trailing by two, after Bryant put up a baseline jumper that slid off the rim with 3 seconds remaining. As he came down, his left foot landed on Jones’ right foot, twisting it awkwardly. Bryant remained down for a few seconds then hobbled to the bench accompanied by the trainer. Bryant said it’s the worst ankle sprain he’s had in his 16-year career.

“I don’t ever want to put that on somebody,” Bryant said. “I really don’t. I just think players need to be made conscious of it. I think the officials need to protect players. Period.”

Shooters hate it when a defender slides underneath them while they’re up air. Former San Antonio Spurs guard Bruce Bowen was notorious for moves like that, earning Bowen a reputation for being a dirty player. Jones went on Twitter to explain his side, and claims that it was Bryant who initiated the contact by kicking his leg out which made him lose balance and fall awkwardly on the floor. Watch the play and you be the judge who is right and who is wrong:

1-Trade Pau Gasol and a first-round pick to the Hawks for Kirk Hinrich and Josh Smith.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: They get a younger PG with Hinrich who is just 31 and hardly washed up. Hinrich isn’t the fastest PG in the league, but he is a solid veteran and a respected defender. He is the son of a coach and has a high basketball IQ and would be a good player for Mike Brown in his halfcourt system. Hinrich is also a pass-first player and Kobe Bryant wouldn’t have a problem playing with him. He is also a capable outside shooter, making 37.8% of his 3-pointer’s in his career, and last season he made 39.9% between Atlanta and Washington. His career assist-to-turnover ratio is 2.6, which is solid for a PG and an drastic upgrade over what L.A. has this season.

Josh Smith is a younger and more athletic PF than Gasol. He plays great defense and would be a solid third scorer behind Kobe and Andrew Bynum. He can post up, but he can also step outside and hit the three as well.

Pau Gasol has been the subject of trade talks the last four months. (GETTY IMAGES)

Why the Hawks should do the deal: Hinrich has fallen out of favor in Atlanta with Jeff Teague playing well. They are looking to move his contract. Smith needs a change of scenery and Gasol gives the Hawks a top-five PF who could team with Al Horford (when he returns from injury) and give them a better 1-2 punch in the frontcourt.

2-Trade Bynum to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: Jim Buss really likes Bynum and may not be willing to do it, but this gives the Lakers a lockdown defender in Iguodala. Iggy is also a very good player to run the offense through at the point forward position. He made the All-Star team in the East this season and is averaging 5.4 assists per game. His versatility has been compared to Bulls great Scottie Pippen. Iggy’s playmaking skills will mesh well with Kobe and Gasol, and he’s also a good third scoring option. He’s averaging 12.5 points, but making a career-high 38% on 3-pointers – a definite need for the Lakers because they’ve been awful shooting threes this season. Hawes is a slight downgrade from Bynum, but he is a solid rebounder and passer for a big man. Before getting hurt, he was having a solid season.

Why Philly should do the deal: They get rid of Iguodala and move Evan Turner to the starting lineup. Turner, the Sixers’ first-round pick in 2010, hasn’t been getting much playing time because he has Iguodala in front of him. Bynum is an improvement over Hawes and he’s from New Jersey so it’ll be a homecoming for him. With Elton Brand declining, it makes sense for Philly to upgrade the center position and become better in the low post.

3-Trade Gasol, Luke Walton, and Andrew Goudelock to Philadelphia for Elton Brand, Lou Williams, and Jodie Meeks.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: PG is L.A.’s biggest weakness and they get a fast young PG in Williams. Williams helps L.A. against the quick PGs in the West such as Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and Russell Westbrook. Dealing Gasol opens up more shots for Bynum.Meeks is a solid outside shooter that can provide some depth. Getting rid of Walton’s contract would be a huge victory for the Lakers.

Why Philly should do the deal: Losing Williams would be a blow to the Sixers’  backcourt, but they still have starting PG Jrue Holiday and an up-and-coming in Turner. Gasol is a significant upgrade over Brand.

Darren Jacks is a contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email to djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Joakim Noah and the Bulls have the best record in the East. Is that enough to carry them to the NBA Finals? (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Home-court advantage and the No. 1 seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs have not resulted in a championship the past two seasons. Just ask LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James powered the Cavaliers to 66 and 61 wins and the No. 1 seeding in the East two years in a row, but a great regular season turned into a nightmare in the postseason. Last year was the most painful one, as the Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the conference semifinals and LeBron walked off the TD Garden floor with his head down, took off his Cavaliers uniform for the last time and bolted for South Beach.

This year, Derrick Rose has powered the Chicago Bulls to 62 wins and the No. 1 seeding in the East. Even though the Bulls have clearly been the best team in the East this season, the playoffs are a totally different challenge. Can these upstart Bulls and their soon-to-be crowned league MVP handle the immense pressure and scrutiny of the playoffs? That’s the No. 1 question facing first-year coach Tom Thibodeau.

FIRST ROUND

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers
The Bulls took three of four games from the Pacers, who may be able to win one game in this series but that’s about it. Too much Derrick Rose, too much Bulls defense. Prediction: Bulls in 5.

(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
Last year the Hawks were thoroughly dominated by the Magic and had no answer for Jameer Nelson. The Hawks picked up defensive specialist Kirk Hinrich at the trade deadline and he should help deal with Nelson’s dribble penetration and contest his jumpers off screen-and-rolls. However, the Hawks didn’t pick up anyone to deal with Dwight Howard in the post and that will ultimately be, again, their Achilles’ heel. Prediction: Magic in 6.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks
Most experts feel this could be the best first-round series. From a pure entertainment standpoint? Yes. In terms of the length of the series? No. Chauncey Billups and Amare Stoudemire both have health issues, and the Knicks play way too loose on offense and defense to keep up with the highly efficient and battle-tested Celtics, who could break out of their shooting slump against a very forgiving and extremely soft Knicks defense. Prediction: Celtics in 5.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
The Heat’s biggest weaknesses are at center and point guard. Fortunately for Miami, Philly doesn’t really have a low-post presence who can command double teams. And point guard Jrue Holiday is playing in his first postseason so don’t expect this series to be competitive. Prediction: Heat in 4.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (4) Orlando Magic
This is where the shocker of the postseason occurs. Orlando has a significant edge in the middle with Howard, and Chicago really has no one on its roster who can keep Orlando’s 6-foot-11 beast out of the paint. Joakim Noah is still bothered by an ankle injury and backup center Omir Asik will be in foul trouble throughout the series because he’s not athletic enough to stay in front of Howard. Another matchup problem for Chicago is Jason Richardson, who should win his one-on-one battles with Keith Bogans, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. And as good as Rose has been all year, he has yet to lead the Bulls out of the first round. Prediction: Magic in 6.

(2) Miami Heat and (3) Boston Celtics
Miami’s victory over Boston in the fourth meeting between the two teams was not only a huge confidence booster for the Heat but it was also a reality check for the Celtics. The addition of Mike Bibby gives LeBron and Dwyane Wade a true sniper who can spread the floor and be counted on in the fourth quarter. For the Celtics to win this series, three things must happen: 1) Shaquille O’Neal plays 24 minutes a game,2) Rajon Rondo makes some jumpers, and 3) Paul Pierce averages more than 20 points per game. All three will be very difficult to achieve against a Heat squad that is coming together at the perfect time. Prediction: Heat in 7.

CONFERENCE FINALS

(2) Miami Heat vs. (4) Orlando Magic
In 2009, Howard and the Magic denied LeBron a trip to the NBA Finals. This year, James has D-Wade to lean on when the going gets tough. James’ biggest obstacle the past two postseasons has been his inability to raise his game in big moments. That’s where Wade comes in. This is the series where Wade turns into Jordan and LeBron happily takes on the role of Pippen. The two teams split the season series, so that means home court will decide the outcome of the battle of Florida. Prediction: Heat in 7.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/onemanfastbreak.

Some observations through the first two weeks of the season:

— Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has 82 assists through five games and leads the league with a mind-boggling 16.4 average. He also recorded a triple-double on Oct. 29 against the Knicks: 10 points, 10 rebounds and 24 assists. He followed that up with 17 assists against the Pistons and 15 against the Bucks.

— Chris Paul reminded basketball fans that he is healthy and ready to reclaim his crown as the best PG in the Association. The Hornets All-Star guard led his team to a perfect 5-0 mark and averaged 21.2 points and nine assists. If this is going to be his final year in New Orleans, CP3 is certainly going out in style.

— The league appears to be armed with outstanding point guards and should be for years to come. Just check out these young studs: CP3, Deron Williams, Rondo, D-Rose, Russell Westbrook, Brandon Jennings, Steph Curry and John Wall.

— Speaking of John Wall, the rookie race will come down to the Wizards’ guard and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin. The lightning-quick Wall has taken a slight edge over the power forward Griffin with outstanding performances against the Hawks (28 points and nine assists) and the Sixers (29 points, 13 assists and nine steals).

— What knee injury? Kobe Bryant posted a triple-double, including 12 assists, against the Sacramento Kings on the tail end of a back-to-back set for the defending world champs. The Lakers are already in midseason form, sitting at 5-0 and leading the Western Conference. Pau Gasol was named Western Conference Player of the Week and Lamar Odom has picked up where he left off since the FIBA World Championships in August.

— After an embarrassing loss to the Celtics on opening night, the Three Kings of Miami seem to have found their form and have rattled off four impressive victories. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have taken turns in leading the new-look Heat in scoring, and the defense has been stifling. Once Chris Bosh figures out where he can pick up his points, the Heat will be scary good.

— As good as the Heat has been, the top spot in the Eastern Conference belongs to the Atlanta Hawks. First-year head coach Larry Drew has tweaked the offense to highlight the team’s speed and quickness rather than run those low-percentage isolation plays during the Mike Woodson era. Josh Smith has 20 blocks in five games.

The Beast of the East barely broke a sweat in pounding the Atlanta Hawks by 43 points in Game 1 of their series. Some thought the Magic were going into the series a bit rusty because of the eight-day layoff after sweeping Charlotte. Instead, it was the Hawks who looked weary and tired after their seven-game battle in the first round against Milwaukee.

Orlando is 5-0 in the 2010 playoffs and Atlanta will be fortunate to win one game in this series.

“Coach [Stan Van Gundy] did a good job in making sure we were ready tonight,” said Dwight Howard, who scored 21 points in just 28 minutes, but it wasn’t because of the foul trouble that plagued him in the first round against Charlotte. The way the Magic shot the ball and played team defense on Tuesday night, they could have won with Tree Rollins at center.

Vince Carter scored 20 points in Game 1 against the Hawks, a game in which Orlando dominated from the start. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)

“It wasn’t in our plans. It’s something we have to deal with and move forward,” said Hawks center Al Horford, who gives up three or four inches to Howard and has not played well against Orlando in the past.

“I think we had a solid game plan and it just kinda got away from us. It was just a snowball effect. We know we’re better than this. It’s gut-check time for our team.”

Horford and the rest of the Hawks big men will have the huge task of containing Howard, who averages 21 points and 17 rebounds against his hometown team. Howard, who attended a prep school in the Atlanta area, made eight of 10 shots and pulled down 12 rebounds in Game 1.

“We understand that it’s only one game. In order for us to win this series, we have to dominate every night and remain humble. We have to have the same effort every night,” said Howard, who says this series will be far different than the first-round series against the Bobcats, in which he barely stayed on the court because of foul trouble.

“I just understood that the first series was very physical,” said the two-time NBA defensive player of the year. “I just looked back to last year, the first series was tough for me mentally. As the playoffs went on, I got a little bit better and matured. I didn’t allow anything to just throw me off my game tonight, and this is what I need to do for the rest of this series.”

Howard added: “I just focus on the next play. If I miss a shot or miss a free throw, just move on to the next play. I’ve been doing that in practice, allow myself to play and not focus on things that could go wrong.”

Video courtesy of NBA.com

The Boston Celtics are not optimistic about Kevin Garnett's injured knee.

When Paul Pierce was asked which team was the toughest to eliminate in the Celtics’ road to winning their 17th championship, he said, without any hesitation, “Cleveland.”

The Cavaliers pushed the Celtics to seven grueling games in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals, and when the series was over, the Celtics and pretty much every team in the East said that if Cavaliers management provides LeBron James another all-star player to play with, look out!

When Mo Williams joined Cleveland this season, the Cavs soared to the best record in franchise history and claimed home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.

News of Kevin Garnett to likely to miss the entire playoffs was so devasting that Boston GM Danny Ainge suffered a mild heart attack.  Garnett was tabbed very, very questionable by Coach Doc Rivers after watching KG struggle in practice. Though Boston will not be the same without its quarterback on defense, the Celtics are still the champs and they still have two studs in Pierce and Ray Allen.

Orlando did not finish well and is still vastly untested in the playoffs. As good as Dwight Howard has been during the regular season, there are still doubts about his ability to consistently carry the Magic on his broad shoulders when it matters most. He still lacks a killer instinct. He’s just too nice. And if Orlando gets in any type of trouble, it will be interesting to watch whether Coach Stan Van Gundy pushes the panic button.

OneManFastbreak.net analyzes and predicts the winners of the Eastern Conference playoffs:

FIRST ROUND

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons – In a rematch of the 2007 conference finals, this should be a one-sided affair. Cleveland will not overlook Detroit. CAVALIERS IN 4.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Chicago Bulls – The Bulls will make it close but the Celtics have enough pride to avoid getting bounced in the first round. CELTICS IN 5.

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers – Orlando swept the Sixers during the regular season and there is no reason why the Magic can’t do the same in the playoffs. MAGIC IN 4.

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Miami Heat – NBA scoring champ Dwyane Wade is good enough to extend this series to the max. But in the end, home-court advantage will be the difference. HAWKS IN 7.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks – Size will matter in this series. Can the undersized Hawks keep up with the bigger Cavs? The answer: too much Ilgauskas, Varejao and LeBron. CAVALIERS IN 6.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Orlando Magic – With or without KG, the Celtics are still better than the Magic. Boston won 62 games and most of it was done without Garnett. CELTICS IN 6.

CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (2) Boston Celtics – When Boston was completely healthy last season and LeBron was basically by himself, it still took the Celts seven games to knock off the Cavs. This season, Cleveland clinches the series in Boston. CAVALIERS IN 6.