Lake Show Undefeated Bubble Popped

On a rough night for the Celtics, perhaps we can take some solace in the fact that the Lakers got whacked as well.

Granted, it was at the hands of a Detroit team that isn't viewed too affectionately in green circles either, but it's good to see the purple and gold get outplayed in every facet of the game, and that's precisely what happened.

They struggled offensively all night, shooting barely 42 percent from the field, with Kobe Bryant making only 12-of-30 shots.  He was joined in ineffectiveness by Derek Fisher (4-of-16) and Vladimir Radmanovic (1-of-6) in particular.

On the other end, the Lakers' top-ranked defense let Detroit do what it wanted throughout.  Four Pistons starters shot better than 50 percent from the field, and the team shot 50.7 percent for the night.  Allen Iverson was allowed to get to the rim with abandon, and Rasheed Wallace burned the Lakers from the outside, including a banked trey from the top of the circles to cap the evening.  The Pistons attacked the rim better, getting to the line 34 times to the Lakers' 16, and they clearly wanted this game more from tip to buzzer.

Not a terrible consolation for a rough night at the TD Banknorth Garden.