That was easy. Despite playing just over 23 minutes, Derek scored 12 points Friday night as the Lakers made short work of the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 110-90 win.
No. 2 scored his first five points on two first quarter jumpers. His three gave LA an early 5-4 lead and a jumper from inside the arc tied it at nine. No. 2 and his teammates gave way to the bench late in the first and most of them didn’t return until 5:42 was left in the half.
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| Derek and friends enjoying the win over Minnesota (Getty Images). |
But it was midway through the third when D-Fish really hit his stride, knocking down back-to-back jumpers to push a six-point lead to double digits. Minutes later he’d answer a T-Wolves run with a long-range bomb that shot the lead back to ten.
When No. 2 checked out with 2:25 remaining in the third and the Lakers up by 21, that was it for the night.
D-Fish expressed his pleasure with the “bench mob” after the game, not only because they gave him a break, but because they played well in doing so, as quoted by the LA Times:
“We believe that every guy on the team can make a positive contribution,” Derek Fisher said. “It doesn’t mean just scoring or doing things offensively. I think people enjoyed DJ (Mbenga)’s shot blocking more than the points he scored. It was him impact, his effort, and his energy that made a difference in that final quarter. We’re going to need that type of thing in order to win a championship. We can’t do this with just Kobe or just Pau or just the starters. It’s going to take all of us.”
KOBE HONORED, RIBS FISH
During the game, Kobe Bryant passed Robert Parrish for 18th in scoring in NBA history which led to an exchange between Derek and his teammate and friend during the timeout that followed, as noted by the Press-Enterprise:
“When the Lakers honored that achievement during the next timeout, Derek Fisher playfully wrapped his friend in a mock bearhug as though they’d won the championship."
“We do a good job ribbing each other,” Bryant said, chuckling. “When he gave me that hug, I’m just happy his head didn’t hit me in the chest. Then I might have gone into cardiac arrest because his head’s kind of on the heavy side.”
NEXT UP
The Lakers will look to come out of Portland smelling like a rose for the first time since 2005 when they travel North to take on the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden tonight.
The Rose Garden has been a venerable house of horrors for LA in recent years and they’ve lost six straight in Portland.
The Lakers have taken two games from the Blazers this season, but both were at the Staples Center. Their last game in Portland was a 112-103 loss last April. D-Fish managed just three points.
The Lakers and Blazers tip-off at 7 p.m. PST and all the action can be seen live on KCAL. Radio broadcast is available on KLAC AM 570.
RELATED STORIES
No surprise in Lakers’ victory (Press-Enterprise, March 7, 2009)
http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/lakers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_N_lakers_07.489cc2d.html
Hugs for all people! (LA Times Lakers Blog, March 7, 2009)
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2009/03/lakers-110-minn.html
Lakers have been bowled over in Rose Garden (LA Times, March 9, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers9-2009mar09,0,7180409.story?track=rss