Portland 96, Detroit 85

We've harped a bit on Detroit's up and down offense in this space recently, and it was pretty up and down on Sunday afternoon, but it's this team's defense that has completely and utterly fallen apart under coach Michael Curry. And I think you'll join me in assuming that the letdown isn't completely the coach's fault.

Portland's a very underrated offensive team, the squad's slow pace tends to hide the fact that they can score with anyone in this league, but Detroit gave up a pro-rated 118.5 points per 100 possessions in this loss. At home. That stuff just hasn't tended to happen over the last, oh, seven years.

And it wasn't due to some glaring hole, though Rasheed Wallace did not have one of his better games. Each and every Blazer just seemed coolly efficient and on top of things. And though Detroit's bench (Rodney Stuckey especially, that cat had it, and finished with 15 points and five assists in 26 minutes) brought them back into the game after an early deficit, the Pistons just couldn't cover all angles on Sunday.

Rasheed was ... not great. One rebound in 39 minutes, and I'm having a hard time recalling a night like that from any big man in this league outside of Eddy Curry over the last, oh, seven years. And Eddy Curry's probably played more than 38 minutes about ten times in his career, if that. He scored 11 points on 12 shots, only scoring those 11 because three of his seven ill-conceived three-point attempts went in, and LaMarcus Aldridge (27 points, and a Curry-like four rebounds in 40 minutes) ate him up on the other end.

Chicago 103, Philadelphia 92

An entertaining game from two of the more scatterbrained teams in the NBA, Philadelphia roared out to a hot start while the Bulls tried to figure out what state they were in, and by the time Chicago remembered how to run an actual play, the Sixers passed on the whole "defense" thing for the final three quarters. Not the finest hour for either side.

The Sixers really did stink it up defensively, I know some of Chicago's stats were pumped up by Larry Hughes nailing a series of late-game corner three-pointers that he won't consistently hit again this year (though that won't exactly stop him from trying), but there's no excuse to give up 113.2 points per 100 possessions to a Chicago team (ranked 24^th in the NBA in offense) that was averaging 102.8 entering the contest. A contest in Pennsylvania. The state where the 76ers play.

Chicago stayed close because Drew Gooden hit some tough, tough shots in the face of Elton Brand's fine defense on Sunday. Gooden's effort all season hasn't waned, but his concentration has been Drew Gooden-esque as ever.

On Sunday, he had it all together. By the second half, it was time for Ben Gordon to exploit the fact that he could get an open 19-footer whenever he wanted to, and Derrick Rose (18 points on 8-15 shooting, 10 assists, five rebounds, two turnovers) just filled in everywhere else.

Brand, Andre Miller, and Thaddeus Young played well for Philadelphia, but Andre Iguodala was worthless (he and Luol Deng should go on a reunion tour of invisible concert halls), and Louis Williams (1-9 shooting, horrid defense) continues to be a massive letdown this season.

Denver 104, Houston 94

I'm going to really have a tough time telling you how great a game Chauncey Billups had against the Rockets, partially because of the slow pace of this one, and partially because you get it. As in, "yeah, 28 and 10 assists. I get it. Great game."

It has to, somehow, go beyond that. This guy was so good, and he's been so brilliant for this team, that you almost wish more people were paying attention. And understanding why this team is so much better. Yes, it's Billups. But, no, the defense hasn't improved considerably. Just a bit, but just enough; at least in comparison to the first 50 games from last season. It's the offense that has gotten way better, but it's hard to tell because the raw numbers are down because they don't run nearly as much. And because the Nuggets don't run, they win.

Anyway, as you mentioned, 28 and 10 for Billups. 28 and 10 and every bit of it was needed with Carmelo Anthony aching. Nene (17 and 10 in 35 minutes, no turnovers, no blocks) nearly played Yao (18 and 11 in 31 minutes, three turnovers, three blocks) to a draw, J.R. Smith was hot off the bench again, and the Nuggets (I'm looking at you, Kenyon) managed not to punch anyway in a game the refs let get away from them at times. And Mick lost his guitar.

New Jersey 117, Phoenix 109

This wasn't much of a surprise, actually. Even though the Suns handed the Nets a huge loss in New Jersey a little while ago.

Nobody on the Suns could guard Devin Harris. It wasn't just Steve Nash getting burned, either. Raja Bell would get switched onto him after a screen and roll gone awry, and Harris would score. Sean Singletary got a lot of it. 47 points on 56 percent shooting for Harris, with seven rebounds, eight assists, and four turnovers in over 40 minutes. The guy is having an AMAZING year.

On top of that, Phoenix couldn't stop turning the ball over. 21 in the game, and every Sun was at fault. Topping it off was the length of Steve Nash's rest in the fourth quarter: almost four and a half minutes. In a close game like that, where Devin Harris needs to be forced to play defense, it was too long. Nash made half his shots and had an assist to close the fourth quarter, but he could have played better, but the wheels were too cold.

The Nets just ran it. Vince Carter was a brilliant second banana, scoring 28 while often setting up the pass that led to the assist. Trenton Hassell (and I don't say this often, I'm not one of those guys) didn't score, but had a great game during his 24 minutes. And the Nets just don't give up. No fluke, no surprise, just game.

Los Angeles Lakers 112, Toronto 99

There's only so much you can do against the Lakers. That makes no sense and all the sense in the world, actually. This team is so perfect in so many ways that you just get the feeling they could be winning by an average of 25 a night if Phil Jackson weren't testing things out and hitting the cruise control button every so often.

The early position they discover and utilize on offense. The way they get out on shooters. The way they cause teams that aren't used to coughing up the ball to cough up the ball. The rebounding -- I know Toronto can't rebound to save its life and was playing without Jermaine O'Neal -- it wasn't even close. 54 to 36. 34 assists on 47 field goals for Los Angeles. Ridiculous numbers across the board.

Yes, Boston is 16 and 2, but man, this is a special, special team.

(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

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