Erick Blasco's Sunday Review, Dec 7 Edition

Sunday was for the juggernauts.

The Western Conference juggernaut Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Milwaukee Bucks in a 105-92 drubbing that was worse than the final score indicated. While the Lakers bench has often been the unit blowing open games, the Lakers starters outscored their Bucks counterparts 76-18.

76-18!

That’s a level of annihilation only a great team can achieve and the Lakers were certainly firing on all cylinders. Even though the Bucks scored 92 points, they only tallied 54 over the first three quarters and were non-competitive for much of the second half. The Lakers defense, and their offense got it done.

The Eastern Conference juggernaut Boston Celtics improved to 20-2 with a 122-117 overtime squeaker over the giant-slaying Indiana Pacers. If Paul Pierce misses a game-tying three with under ten seconds in regulation, the Pacers would have boasted a win over the Lakers and two over the Celtics for their resume.

Give the Pacers credit for surviving an injury to one of their best players in Mike Dunleavy, and hanging in against one of the most difficult early schedules a team has faced. They’re only 7-13 but things get a lot easier following a December 13 trip to Milwaukee with five of the six following games being against teams with losing records.

Meanwhile, the Celtics showed why they’re the champions. Kevin Garnett hauled in 20 rebounds, 19 on the defensive end. Ray Allen went off for seven three-pointers and 35 points. And if Paul Pierce struggled overall, he made the plays that mattered most, like his huge game-tying three, and his outstanding defensive job on Danny Granger who only shot 7-22.

The future juggernaut Portland Trail Blazers got a huge late three from Steve Blake to vanquish the Toronto Raptors in Toronto 98-97. Portland didn’t shoot overly well (44 percent), but their forwards and centers were so much more active on the boards than the tissue-soft Raptors, and they out-rebounded Toronto 48-31. LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden were responsible for 11 of Portland’s 18 offensive boards, and with Toronto’s big people unable to rebound or defend the paint, Portland had wide open three-point looks all game long, converting 12-of their 24 three-pointers.

Kudos to the young Blazers for their toughness and their moxie.

Sam Mitchell may have taken the fall, but he wasn’t responsible for the fact that Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal, and Andrea Bargnani are one of the softest frontcourt trios in the game, and that any physical offense doesn’t have to work overly hard to get good looks. The Raptors are mess defensively, not a good sign considering their next game is on the road against the surging Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Detroit Pistons were a past juggernaut, but they’re fading hard.

Allen Iverson has been a problem instead of a solution, but the troubles stretch well beyond him.

For instance, Rasheed Wallace attempted 11 shots, five of them threes in Detroit's 104-92 loss to the New York Knicks. When a team’s best and only post player is attempting half as many threes as twos, then the team is missing out on a golden opportunity for easy shots at the hoop, free throws, or double teams leading to open jumpers.

Wallace and his teammates also lost the battle of the boards 51-36, bricked 14 of their 16 threes, and got no ball movement from Iverson. Maybe the problem is simply the day of the week. Detroit is now 0-5 on Sundays.

On the other side, even amidst all the distractions, the injuries, and the major roster shuffling, the Knicks keep hanging around. Any point guard would’ve brought more chemistry and leadership than Stephon Marbury, but Chris Duhon’s been a salvation, driving and dishing, making simple passes, defending, and knocking down timely three-pointers.

With Zach Randolph out, David Lee’s been asked to grab all the rebounds, and he responded with 19 against the Pistons, while Al Harrington, Wilson Chandler, and Quentin Richardson, and Duhon shot the lights out from downtown, with the quintet going 12-23. At least on the offensive end of the floor, the Knicks have enough to contend for a playoff berth.