NBA playoffs: Champs down 0-2

This time, Shaquille O’Neal had nothing but praise for the opponent and the officiating.

The only finger he pointed was at himself.

He realizes he needs to do more if the Miami Heat are going to climb out of another 2-0 playoff deficit. Dwyane Wade needs to step up, too.

Ben Gordon scored 27 points and Luol Deng added 26 to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 107-89 victory Tuesday night in Chicago and a 2-0 lead over the defending champions in this first-round series.

“I have been around a long time and I’ve been in all these situations before,” O’Neal said. “Basically, the Bulls did what they’re supposed to do and protect their home court. We have to play smarter basketball. We got to come with a lot more energy and play with a lot more effort and a lot more passion.”

Gordon scored 11 in the third quarter, hitting three 3-pointers, and the Bulls built a 17-point lead. Deng scored 14 in the fourth as Chicago sent Miami halfway to elimination.

O’Neal accused the Bulls of flopping and lashed out at referee Eddie F. Rush after Game 1, but said it was a “perfect game today” for the officials.

O’Neal and Wade had subpar performances again after struggling through foul trouble in the opener, finishing with 17 and 21 points, respectively. O’Neal was 6 for 14 from the floor with eight rebounds. Wade, who led a late charge in Game 1, never really got going, hitting 9 of 19. Both had seven turnovers.

Suns 126, Lakers 98: At Phoenix, the Suns’ offense is racing at top speed, and that Game 2 jinx is history.

The Suns revved up their frenetic style to near perfection in a rout of Los Angeles that put Phoenix up 2-0 in the best-of-7 first-round series.

The Suns had lost five consecutive playoff Game 2s, including one at home against the Lakers a year ago. But it was apparent early that this would be no replay. Phoenix led by 21 in the second quarter and 28 in the third.

Leandro Barbosa, presented with the NBA Sixth Man Award trophy before tipoff, scored 26 to match his career playoff high for the second game in a row, leading six Suns in double figures.

Raptors 89, Nets 83: At Toronto, Anthony Parker scored 26 points, Chris Bosh added 25 points and 13 rebounds, and the Raptors beat New Jersey.

New Jersey’s Bostjan Nachbar missed a 3-pointer from the corner that would have tied the game with 8 seconds to play, allowing the Raptors to level their first-round series at a game apiece. Game 3 is Friday night in New Jersey.

Toronto got its first playoff victory since a 94-84 home win over Detroit on April 27, 2002.

Mitchell named coach of year

Sam Mitchell was honored as NBA coach of the year after leading the Toronto Raptors to a franchise-record-tying 47 victories and their first Atlantic Division title.

Mitchell won the Red Auerbach Trophy in a decisive vote over Utah’s Jerry Sloan. He picked up 49 first-place votes for a total of 394 points in balloting by 128 basketball writers and broadcasters. Sloan had 301 points followed by Dallas’ Avery Johnson with 268.

Around the league

The Boston Celtics are severing ties with guard Sebastian Telfair days after he was arrested in the New York area and charged with carrying a loaded gun in his car. … Charges of aggravated battery against Celtics guard Tony Allen were dismissed in a Chicago court. The development came on the second day of a trial stemming from a fight in August 2005 outside a restaurant near downtown Chicago.