Everything went right on Tuesday night in LA. The Lakers got a win, the starters got their rest and everybody got a first round playoff preview.
Derek scored five points in 15 and a half minutes, with three steals and three assists as the Lakers wrapped up the regular season with a 125-112 victory over the Utah Jazz. The win guarantees that the Jazz and Lakers will meet in the playoffs as Utah is now locked into the eighth seed.
Game 1 will be Sunday in Los Angeles at 3PM EST.
“No secrets,” Derek said of Utah earlier in the week. “They’re going to execute, they’re going to play hard and you’re not going to get anything easy on your end. Those are the things Jerry (Sloan) has believed in, and he’s coached the same way for 20 years. And I don’t think it’s going to change in the next week or so.”
Fish started for the 82nd time this season and played the first eight minutes of the first quarter, including an assist to Pau Gasol for a dunk that gave LA a 2-0 lead. He had all three of his assists in the first frame. After checking out at the 4:10 mark, No. 2 remained on the bench for the rest of the half.
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He returned to the floor to start the third and knocked down his first shot. The jumper pushed the LA lead from one to three. D-Fish cashed in again, from long range, a few possessions later as LA pulled away early in the third.
After missing a couple of tough shots, Derek ducked out at the 4:20 mark of the third to an ovation from the LA faithful.
NEXT UP
The Lakers and the Jazz will meet again starting on Sunday in LA. The best of five series will run through two games in LA, before heading to Utah for two. A fifth game, if necessary will be played in LA.
Earlier in the week, No, 2 was asked by reporters to speculate on a potential matchup:
“I’m assuming that we’ll go out and play the game the way we normally play it. In particular, if it’s Utah, we’ve played them, it seems like 20 times, in the last 18 months.
“There’s no comfort in the postseason. It’s that simple. If you’re comfortable, you won’t be there long.”
D-NOTES
- At Forum Blue and Gold, Kurt breaks down the things he’d like to see in the playoffs including: “Derek Fisher to step up and hit a clutch shot in the fourth quarter. Actually, this one is pretty much a given.”
- At New Lakers Blog, Silver Screen and Roll, they break down Derek’s performance on Tuesday, stating: “Derek Fisher had a quiet night, shooting 2-5 for just five points in 16 minutes, but in watching him, one got the sense that he was feeling a bit more comfortable, and his shot was looking better.”
- Fish’s former coach Jerry Sloan wasn’t very happy with his team’s draw in the first round, as quoted in the LA Times: “We didn’t give them much of a battle, knowing we have to play them again,” said Utah Coach Jerry Sloan. “It looks pretty bleak. . . . They have a terrific team. They have guys who can pass the ball, do about anything you ask a team to do. They’ve got guys who can make big shots, who just know how to play the game, make the game look simple. . . . We’re just like a little dent in the road, far as they’re concerned. They’re very comfortable playing against us and obviously should be.”
- Jeff Miller of the OC Register wasted little time registering his pick to hoist the trophy in June: “The Orange County Register is reporting the Lakers will win the NBA championship. Reporting it right now, right here, this instant, written while the Lakers are finishing their regular season and nearly two months before the start of the NBA Finals.”
RELATED STORIES
Jazz at Lakers Box Score (NBA.com, April 14, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090414/UTALAL/boxscore.html
Why wait for June? Lakers will win NBA title (OC Register, April 15, 2009)
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lakers-season-year-2364111-nba-reporting
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http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2009/04/15/what-i-hope-to-see-in-the-playoffs/
Recap: Lakers vs. Jazz (Silver Screen and Roll, April 15, 2009)
http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2009/4/15/838482/recap-lakers-vs-jazz
Jerry Sloan not sounding very confident (LA Times, April 15, 2009)
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