A change to his pre-game routine made all the difference in the world for Derek on Friday night.
No. 2 scored 18 points after tuning down his pre-game shooting program and provided the Lakers with their first seven points en route to a 103-95 victory over the New Jersey Nets.
Charley Rosen, NBA writer at FOXSports.com, noted Fish’s warmup routine change:
“Derek Fisher made one minor change in his pre-game routine by limiting his shooting practice. “Actually,” he said, “I always play better in the second game of back-to-backs. I usually feel a little sluggish in the first half of the first game, but the first game gets my juices flowing.”
D-Fish outscored star teammate Kobe Bryant on the night and provided a boost, after Bryant was hobbled by an ankle sprain.
No. 2 knocked down eight of his 12 shots on the evening including all four of his first quarter looks as the Lake Show jumped out to 31-25 edge after one.
After sitting out the end of the first quarter and the first 5:34 of the second, No. 2 returned and after missing his first shot, added a layup to boost the LA lead to seven at the 3 minute mark. But the Nets came roaring back to cut the lead to two as the first half came to a close.
The teams sparred back and forth as the third quarter began, with LA clinging to a slim lead. But once the Nets knotted the score at 57, it seemed to wake up the veteran Lakers and LA answered the tie with a 16-0 run that included back-to-back jumpers by D-Fish.
New Jersey cut the lead back to three in the fourth, but LA once again staved off a collapse and Derek pumped in a three at the 4:39 mark to stretch the lead back to nine. That edge was enough as LA finished off the Nets for their fourth straight road win.
Derek added four assists and two boards to his 18 points in the win, which clinched home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs for LA.
STREAK STOPS HERE
Fresh off their victory over the Nets on Friday night, D-Fish and his Lakers brethren couldn’t keep their road winning streak going in Atlanta and suffered an 86-76 loss.
No. 2 scored eight points and added three boards in what was an off night for many of the LA stars, as noted by the LA Times:
“There were a lot of guys that I could assess their games in the same category—they really had a bad night,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.
The loss dropped LA to 58-15, two games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the race for home court throughout the playoffs.
NEXT UP
The Lakers wrap up their road trip this week with a back-to-back set in Charlotte and Milwaukee on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Coverage of Tuesday night’s game in Charlotte begins at 4 p.m. PST and all the action can be seen live on KCAL. Radio coverage is provided by KLAC AM 570.
RELATED STORIES
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Jersey Nets Box Score (ESPN.com, March 27, 2009)
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290327017
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Atlanta Hawks Box Score (ESPN.com, March 29, 2009)
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290329001
Lakers nearly blow big lead, but hang on (OC Register, March 28, 2009)
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lakers-bryant-game-2348583-season-points
Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Jersey Nets recap (ESPN.com, March 27, 2009)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290327017&campaign=rsssrch&source=derek+fisher
Inside the Lakers’ game plan: Beating the Nets (FoxSports.com, March 28, 2009)
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9390366/Inside-the-Lakers’-gameplan:-Beating-the-Nets
Lakers’ effort in loss to Hawks doesn’t pass smell test (LA Times, March 30, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-hawks30-2009mar30,0,2475460.story?track=rss
Hawks 86, Lakers 76: Coldlanta (LA Times Lakers Blog, March 29, 2009)
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2009/03/hawks-86-lakers.html