After watching — and tweeting — the Lakers Game 3 win in Houston on Friday, Derek returned from his one game suspension on Sunday in Houston.
But despite the return of their co-captain, LA couldn’t overcome the emotion of the Rockets, who had just learned they lost their own leader, Yao Ming, for the rest of the season.
Behind an emotional boost from their new found underdog role, the Rockets burst out to a 26-9 lead and never looked back en route to a 99-87 win over the Lakers on Sunday afternoon.
The best-of-seven series is now tied at two.
After the game, Fish blamed the team’s poor start for their losing finish, as quoted on Lakers.com:
“Had we gotten out to a better start the outcome could have been different. We needed to start strong, put questions into their minds and put them back on their heels, but we didn’t do that.”
Derek scored two points, shooting 1-4 from the field, in just under 20 minutes on the floor. He pulled down two boards and picked off a loose ball out of the hands of Shane Battier. His only points came midway through the first and made it 22-9.
THREE TWEET
As he sat in his hotel room, serving a one-game suspension and watching game four on TV, @derekfisher decided to join Twitter-nation in commenting about the game:
– Since I can’t be @ the arena, I’ll be here with you guys, the fans, as I watch! I’ll tweet on time outs, commercials, etc & weigh in. GO LA! 3:06 PM May 8th from web
– Really solid start for a road playoff game! Kobe set the tone and the guys r responding. They look connected and focused. 9:02 PM May 8th from web – Couldn’t ask for a better 3rd qtr from the guys! Up 12 going to the 4th qtr on the road is a good place to be! Finish the job fellas!!! 10:39 PM May 8th from web – I’m so proud of the team. They responded like champions and that is what this is all about. WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP. Great job guys! 11:33 PM May 8th from web – This is the 1st and last in game Twitter! I appreciate you all and GO LAKERS! Goodnight!!! 11:34 PM May 8th from web
The Lakers won the game 108-94 to take a 2-1 series lead at the time.
D NOTES
At TrueHoop, Henry Abbott takes a look at the exclusive video here on derekfisher2.com of D-Fish’s explanation of what happened in game two and Abbott comes to the following conclusion:
“I’m happy to hear that he was just trying to take a hard foul, instead of end Luis Scola’s night. And I’m happy that he cares to address the issue in the bigger picture, as a role model.”
To read the whole post, click here.
At the OC Register, Kevin Ding takes a look at the relationship between Derek and his backup, Jordan Farmar, who filled in more than admirably in game three:
“Derek Fisher’s wisdom still wafted through the air Friday night. It was all around Jordan Farmar as he prepared for the bounce-back game of his NBA career, focused on Fisher-like priorities of solidity that Farmar cited as: “Take care of the ball, give people good looks and take care of the tempo.”
After winning without suspended Fisher, Farmar left the Lakers locker room, stopping to grab a Coke but already having the smile. But just before he left, I offered Farmar a reminder of something Fisher said before the postseason began … when Farmar was in total spiral.
“The guys who separate themselves are the ones who are able to take what appear to be difficulties or setbacks at one point and stay prepared, keep working and just at the right time — just when everybody’s ready to start shoveling the dirt on — show up big and come through for yourself and for your team. I think that’s what it takes.”
That’s what Fisher said when I asked him three weeks ago for some perspective on Farmar, once clearly projected by everyone — including Fisher — to be Fisher’s immediate successor as the Lakers’ primary lead guard.”
NEXT UP
The Lakers and Rockets battle in a pivotal game five Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 PST and all the action can be seen live on TNT.
RELATED STORIES
Lakers at Rockets Box Score (NBA.com, March 10, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090510/LALHOU/boxscore.html
Lakers quotes: Lakers at Rockets game 5 (Lakers.com, May 10, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/090510_quotes.html
Farmar does Fisher proud (OC Register, May 9, 2009)
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/farmar-fisher-minutes-2402365-game-lakers
No Yao for Rockets, plenty of ‘ow’ Lakers (LA Times, May 11, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-rockets11-2009may11,0,518582.story?track=rss
Lakers blasted off the court by Yao-less Rockets (LA Daily News, May 11, 2009)
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_12339548?source=rss
Derek Fisher to Young People: Do as NBA Players usually do, not as I do this time (True Hoop, May 8, 2009)
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-40-43/Derek-Fisher-to-Young-People—Do-As-NBA-Players-Usually-Do—Not-As-I-Did-This-Time.html