In the first game of a long road trip, Derek and the Lakers turned the tables on Saturday.
Rather than being the team that gives up their lead late, as they had been in their last three games, the Lakers came from behind to win.
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LA turned a 14-point halftime deficit around on the Chicago Bulls and with an overwhelming fourth quarter surge, pulled a 117-109 victory in the Windy City.
D-Fish was proud of the mettle that the team showed:
“So many things went against us tonight, we could have easily just went, ‘Ah, well, we’ll get the next one,’ ” Derek Fisher said. “But guys off the bench were contributing. These are the types of wins that build character. I think we’re going to need seven of them in order to be successful on this trip.”
Derek scored five points and added two assists and three boards in 23 minutes and was afforded a solid half game of rest because of the solid play of LA’s second team, as noted by the Orange County Register:
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[Jordan] Farmar had 13 points, three assists and three steals, playing more than half the game and allowing veteran Derek Fisher sit out the entire fourth quarter for the second consecutive game.”No. 2 sank only two shots, but his second bucket, a three-point bomb, as has been his specialty, cut Chicago’s lead in half from six to three early in the third. The Lakers kept it close in the third before pulling away as D-Fish watched in delight.
TIME FOR THE TIMES
Over at the LA Times’ Lakers Blog, Andrew Kamenetzky transcribes Derek’s post-game comments after LA’s win over Golden State last week, including this nugget about sharpening their play:“It’s a long season and you go through the ups and downs. Those are things you can’t necessarily avoid or assume they aren’t going to happen to you as a team. But there are some things that even during the ups and downs you can eliminate, or at least minimize. We’re just letting a few things slip. We’re giving up extra possessions, which, against any team (can hurt you). Those other guys are in the NBA, too. You give them an opportunity to put points on the board, eventually, they’re going to do it. That’s one thing that could help us a lot. I think defensively, we’re doing a decent job, but second shots and free throws. We’re giving up a lot of every points.”
TRACKING CLEVELAND
The Lakers trail only one team in the quest for the best record in the NBA and the home court advantage that comes along with that distinction: The Cleveland Cavaliers.According to Derek, it’s something that the team is keeping their eyes on, as quoted by the LA Times:
“We’re watching them, obviously, because we’re right there, neck and neck for the best record,” guard Derek Fisher said. “That’s a goal of ours, and right now they stand in our way.”
Cleveland is currently 57-13, leading the Lakers (55-14) by 1.5 games in the race. Cleveland plays 12 more games while the Lakers have 13 remaining.
TEAMING UP FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEIR TEAMS
The LA Chronicle brings us an article about a worthy cause that Derek has teamed up with fellow NBA Players to trumpet.“Basketball stars Tracy McGrady, Derek Fisher, Baron Davis, Luol Deng, Etan Thomas, and Jermaine O’Neal have joined together to announce the launch of the Darfur Dream Team´s Sister Schools Program. As part of the program, the players will work with U.S. schools to raise awareness about the crisis in Darfur and money for Darfuri refugee camp schools. The Sister Schools Program links American middle schools, high schools, and universities with schools in Darfuri refugee camps in eastern Chad. U.S sister schools will raise funds to improve the education of their Darfuri peers through the construction and rehabilitation of school buildings as well as providing teacher training, sports equipment, and other school supplies. The program will also foster cross-cultural relationships and mutual understanding between U.S. and Darfuri refugee students through letter exchanges and video blogging.”
McGrady started the cause and it was something that D-Fish had always has a desire to help address, as quoted by the Chronicle:
“When I first heard about the crisis in Darfur, I wanted to find some way that I could contribute that would not only help the survivors of the war, but also raise awareness of what is happening there.”
For more information on Derek and his NBA brethren’s efforts, visit www.darfurdreamteam.org.
NEXT UP
The Lakers continue their seven game road trip Tuesday night in Oklahoma City when they take on the surging Thunder. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST and all the action can be see live, in LA on KCAL.RELATED STORIES
Lakers at Bulls Play by Play (NBA.com, March 22, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090321/LALCHI/playbyplay.html
Bench mob spurs Lakers past Bulls (OC Register, March 22, 2009)
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lakers-game-jackson-2342700-chicago-season
Derek Fisher on the Lakers’ recent funk (LA Times Lakers Blog, March 21, 2009)
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2009/03/possibly-so-at.html
Lakers aren’t watching Cavaliers…well maybe a little (LA Times, March 23, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-fyi23-2009mar23,0,4605957.story?track=rss
Lakers have something in reserve this time (LA Times, March 22, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-bulls22-2009mar22,0,7521738.story?track=rss
Darfur dream team launches sister schools program (Los Angeles Chronicle, March 23, 2009)
http://www.losangeleschronicle.com/articles/view/95380
