It’s on to the second round – or conference semifinal series – of the 2009 National Basketball Association playoffs.

In the Eastern Conference, defending NBA champion and No. 2 seed Boston takes on No. 3 seed Orlando and this year’s regular-season leader and top seed Cleveland clashes with No. 4 Atlanta.

In the Western Conference, the No. 1 seed Los Angeles Lakers tangle with No. 5 seed Houston and No. 2 seed Denver collides with No. 6 seed Dallas.

All four match-ups are best-of-seven affairs. The Celtics, Cavaliers, Lakers and Nuggets will enjoy home-court advantages over their respective opponents, meaning they will host Game Seven of any series.

Here’s outlook for the second-round playoffs:

EAST
1-Cleveland (66-16) vs. 4-Atlanta (47-35)
Forecast – Cavaliers over Hawks, 4-0

This is likely to be another short series. With a number of its key frontline players plagued by injuries, Atlanta simply has no chance against Cleveland, whose suffocating defense played an integral role in its successful run for the NBA’s best record during the regular season.

Of course, LeBron James is the prime reason why the Cavaliers are expected to march easily into the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. In Wine City, LeBron is The King.

Cleveland whitewashed Detroit in the first round – the only one among the eight first-round series to finish in a minimum four straight games – and the Cavs turned in the trick in record fashion, joining the 2004 Indiana Pacers as the only teams in NBA history to sweep a first-round series by winning every game by double figures.

James was brilliant throughout, winding up with averages of 32 points, 11.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists to join Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson as the only players ever to norm 30-10-7 in a playoff series.

The injury-riddled Hawks defeated NBA scoring champion Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, 4-3, in their first-round showdown. Swingman Joe Johnson, Atlanta’s No. 1 scorer during the regulars, was off and on during the seven-game series but he shot 6-for-8 from the three-point area and collected 27 points in Game Seven. It was the first time since 1999 that the Peach City squad got past the first round.

The Cavaliers have a deep bench and this early, they have shown a killer instinct (at least in the series vs. the Pistons), which is the mark of a great championship contender. Against Atlanta, you only need to mail in the results (for Cleveland).

2-Boston (62-20) vs. Orlando (59-23)
Forecast – Celtics over Magic, 4-3

Thanks to a home-court advantage in the first round, the Celtics eliminated the upstart Chicago Bulls in an epic seven-game affair that established a new NBA record for most overtime games in a playoff series with four - Games 1, 4, 5 and 6. (The old mark was two).

The Hub City squad likewise overcame the absence of superstar Kevin Garnett and his backup Leon Powe with an outstanding series from the backcourt duo of lean but-mean Rajon Rondo (who averaged nearly a triple-double in points, rebounds and assists during the series) and sharpshooting Ray Allen (who got a playoff career high 51 points in a three-overtime Game Six defeat).

Now, Boston needs Paul Pierce to take a more prominent role if it intends to beat Orlando, which advanced to the East semis by taking the final three games of their first-round series against Philadelphia for a 4-2 triumph

Magic workhorse Dwight Howard, who played exceptionally well against Philly but missed the series finale due to an NBA suspension, again figures to dominate against Boston. The Celts hope to keep Howard in check by putting wide-bodied frontliners such as Kendrick Perkins and Glen “Big Baby” Davis on the league’s rebounding and shot-blocking champion.

The two teams split their four-game head-to-head duel during the regular season. With the benefit of another home-court edge, chances are Boston will again survivea seven-game war with Orlando and advance to the East finals against Cleveland.

WEST
1-LA Lakers (65-17) vs. 5-Houston (53-29)
Forecast – Lakers over Rockets, 4-1

During the regulars, the Lakers blanked the Rockets, 4-0. It won’t be any different in their playoff clash.

In beating the Utah Jazz in five games in the first round, the Lakers showed their explosiveness on offense but also had problems holding on to big leads. Kobe Bryant went from being the “facilitator” in the first three games to being the “initiator” in the last two (both victories) with a 30 points-or-more outburst each time.

In the past, Bryant has been irked by the leech-like guarding (and incessant trash-talking) of Houston’s Ron Artest and pestered by the sticky defense of Shane Battier. Bryant expects various defensive looks from the Rockets. Just don’t make him angry, as what Artest did (and might have regretted) in one regular game against El-Ay this season.

Andrew Bynum, who said he was bothered by the heavy brace on his troubled right knee, was ineffective against Utah and lost his starting job three games into the series. However, the young 7-foot center is expected to regain the role once he goes up against Yao Ming, the Rockets 7-6 mastodon from China.

2-Denver (54-28) vs. 6-Dallas (50-32)
Forecast – Nuggets over Mavericks, 4-3

Denver and Dallas waltzed into the conference semifinals with identical 4-1 decisions over New Orleans and San Antonio, respectively.

It was the Nuggets’ first playoff series victory since 1994 following five straight first-round flameouts. The Mavericks, on the other hand, made it to the second round for the first time since 2006 when they earned an NBA Finals berth.

The Nuggets swept their four-game regular sked against the Mavericks. Since then, though, Dallas has been invigorated by the play of one-time All-Star forward Josh Howard and won’t be any easy prey for Denver at this time in the postseason.

The Mavs have become extra tough on their home floor, where they are 17-1 (including 2-0 in the postseason) since the All-Star break.

Expected their playoff series to be a high-scoring affair. Already, Denver is up 1-0 following yesterday’s 109-95 home shellacking of Dallas.