The light at the end of the tunnel is now in sight.
Derek Fisher scored five points on two big jumpers in the first half, then played the role of leader, gathering his teammates together for pep talks in the third and fourth quarters as the Lakers flew past the Denver Nuggets 119-92, and into their second consecutive NBA Finals.
 Derek provided the Lakers with criticially important veteran leadership in the Western Conference Finals (Getty Images). |
After the game, D-Fish talked about that journey from last year’s finals to now, as quoted by the LA Daily News:
“It’s been a long time since we lost that sixth game in the Finals last year, and we’ve been through a lot to get back to take a step through the door and have that opportunity again,” Fisher said of his pep talk before the fourth quarter.
“I was just expressing how it was important to step into that door tonight and seize that opportunity. Don’t wait. We’ve all been through a lot individually and collectively. Now is our time to finish what we didn’t finish last season.
“Tonight was a big part of that process.”
If Derek’s pep talk late in Game 3 spurred the team to take control of the series, his speeches on Friday were meant to inspire his teammates to levy a final body blow to the Nuggets, already on the ropes late in game six.
The Lakers did just that with a 36-point fourth quarter that finished the job.
Fish finished 2-3 from the field in game six, with four rebounds and four assists; his plus/minus mark of +25 was topped only by that of Kobe Bryant.
Before Game 6, No. 2 talked about what the team has learned and how they’ve grown this postseason, as quoted by Ken Berger of CBS Sports:
“I do think we’re continuing to learn from things that are happening as we go on. And I do think because of what we experienced in the Houston series, in the Utah series, our playoff experience from last season, as we get closer to that light that’s at the end of that tunnel … it’s starting to become in our sight.
“I think we’ll continue to see the type of intensity and concentration and focus that’s required generally every time out in the postseason. But we’ve had a difficult time, I think, knowing that the end of the tunnel is there, but when it hasn’t been in sight, I think we’ve gotten off track.”
CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION
Though LA’s win on Friday night secured a trip to their second straight Finals, a destination only two teams reach every season, Derek was quick to make it clear the Lakers are not content, as quoted by the New York Times:
“There’s no satisfaction in this locker room at all,” the veteran Derek Fisher said.
The Lakers are headed to their record 30th NBA Finals, so there is certainly a “been there done that” mentality to accepting the Western Conference title trophy. D-Fish himself will go to The Finals for the sixth time, and in a place where 14 NBA Championship banners hang from the rafters, second place just won’t do, especially after the way last season ended.
Derek and his Lakers teammates still have a bad taste in their mouth from last season’s finals loss to Boston, a taste that will only be washed out with a kiss of the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship trophy.
“We started training camp Sept. 30, we were still frustrated, still angry,” Fish said, as quoted by the New York Times. “What we’ve been through since 2004, and then to get back there last year and not get it done again, I don’t know if guys fully understand the frustration or the pain that comes with that, when you’re not sure if it’s ever going to happen again,” he said. “I think all of our guys are excited about it, though, to have a chance to kind of right what we felt was wrong.”
RING’S THE THING
With the Nuggets out of the way, the Lakers place their focus squarely on the Eastern Conference’s best.
Not the Boston Celtics, though revenge would have been nice.
Not the Cleveland Cavaliers, though that’s what all the prognosticators said.
But the Orlando Magic.
As noted by Janis Carr in the OC Register, however, it doesn’t make a difference to these Lakers who they face:
“Derek Fisher took a long moment to consider the question. His answer was obvious, but still he contemplated what it meant to play the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals and not LeBron and Co. or to not be able to avenge last season’s Finals loss to the Boston Celtics.
The seconds ticked away.
“It doesn’t have (written) who I played against on any of my rings,” Fisher said of the world championship Lakers teams on which he played. “It says ‘World Champions’ — that’s it. I feel very good about the three (rings) I have, and if I get a fourth one, I will feel very good about that one as well.”
The Lakers and Magic don’t tip-off until Thursday night, but check DerekFisher2.com all week for practice reports and a NBA Finals preview to come on Thursday.
RELATED STORIES
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