BOSTON - Ray Allen gave up 42 points and still became the hero.

OK, I'm not sure if he was defending Ben Gordon for all 14 of his field goals and each of his half-dozen 3-pointers, but Allen was the primary defender on his fellow UConn alum and was on the court for 38 minutes, 47 seconds.

Monday's games

• Celtics 118, Bulls 115 (Tied 1-1)
• Spurs 105, Mavericks 84 (Tied 1-1)

Sunday's games

• Lakers 113, Jazz 100 (Lakers 1-0)
• Sixers 100, Magic 98 (Sixers 1-0)
• Hawks 90, Heat 64 (Hawks 1-0)
• Nuggets 113, Hornets 84 (Nuggets 1-0)

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FOXSports.com analysis

• Playoff results, schedule
• 2009 NBA Playoff Central
• Goodman: Allen rescues C's in Game 2
• Rosen: Lakers win but don't dominate
• Goodman: Celtics in trouble without KG
• Smith: Pistons no match for Cavaliers
• Hench: Kobe vs. LeBron -- book it!
• Galinsky: 10 burning playoff questions
• Kriegel: Title or bust for Kobe

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Video

Marques Johnson previews
• West: Lakers-Jazz | Nuggets-Hornets | Spurs-Mavs | Blazers-Rockets
• East: Cavs-Pistons | Celtics-Bulls | Magic-Sixers | Hawks-Heat

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Photos

• First-round action: Monday
• First-round action: Sunday

But when it came down to crunch time, it was Allen who made the crucial shots.

"If he didn't have the game he had tonight, we would have gotten that win," Gordon said.

Many players would have been rattled seeing their opposing number — nevermind a fellow alum — torch them with basket after basket.

But Allen is as even-keeled as it gets and delivered when Boston needed it.

"I wasn't worried about Ray at all," Boston forward Glen Davis said.

Davis filled in more than admirably for injured Kevin Garnett, who remained on the bench for the entire game this time, and finished with 26 points and nine rebounds.

"We needed this win and we got it done," Davis said.

That's true, but it was still a nail-biting home win against the Chicago Bulls. That's not exactly a sign of positive things to come.

However, this opponent is Boston's worst nightmare — a young, athletic team with fresh legs. The Celtics have virtually become a five-man team with Garnett likely out for the rest of the postseason and Leon Powe going down with an ankle injury.

The only reserve that Doc Rivers gave more than a minute to in the second half was Eddie House, who logged about 4 ½ minutes.

"We feel very confident because we feel like we haven't even played good basketball yet," said Paul Pierce, who hasn't looked anything like the same player who dominated in the playoffs last season. "I think our best is yet to come in this series."

He'd better hope so. The Celtics, a team that has prided itself on defense in the last two seasons, have now allowed 110.5 points in the two games thus far.

"I pray that Danny Ainge didn't watch this game," Rivers said of the Celtics' boss, who is recovering from a minor heart attack.

Except for maybe the final play.