The Stuff of Legends: Derek Fisher and Game 4, Part I

//The Stuff of Legends: Derek Fisher and Game 4, Part I

The Stuff of Legends: Derek Fisher and Game 4, Part I

By | 2016-10-22T05:58:02-08:00 June 12th, 2009|News|Comments Off on The Stuff of Legends: Derek Fisher and Game 4, Part I

With 31.1 seconds left in overtime of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Derek Fisher backpedaled down the court, having just hit the biggest shot of his career, and slowly, a smile crept across his face from ear-to-ear.

“You know, I just sensed that was the dagger,” he said, as quoted in the LA Daily News. “That was the one that would put us in a position to close out the game.

“It was hard to contain at that point.”

D-Fish had done it again.


This shot tied Game 4 at 87 and forced OT (Getty Images).

Thanks to two clutch threes from No. 2, one to tie Game 4 in regulation and another to win it in overtime, the Los Angeles Lakers are a win away from the NBA Championship.

The two three-pointers stamped Derek’s legacy as one of the greatest clutch shooters in the history of the game. In his opinion, these were even bigger than the infamous 0.4 play against San Antonio in 2004, as noted and quoted by Jeff Miller of the OC Register:

“How big were Fisher’s rainbow daggers? Bigger than his biggest career moment entering Thursday, a moment still remembered on T-shirts around the Southland, a moment recognizable by a number.

“You know, even greater than 0.4,” Fisher said, referring to his shot that beat San Antonio in the 2004 Western semifinals. “I feel like we’re as close as possible to what our end goal is. We know we still have work to do.”

The work left to do was made easier by Derek’s daggers, his 39th and 40th career three-pointers in the NBA Finals, third most all time behind two-other big shot legends, Michael Jordan (42) and Robert Horry (56).

But it’s thanks only to Fish, that the Lakers now have a commanding three games to one lead and will have three chances to secure another ring.

“He’s been there before,” Kobe Bryant said, as quoted on SI.com. “He’s been there, done that. That’s Derek. He just has supreme confidence. I think those shots at the end of the game are actually easier for him.”

Lakers forward Lamar Odom summed up Fish’s legacy more succinctly, as quoted in the LA Daily News:

“He’s amazing,” Lamar Odom said of Fisher. “He means everything to us.”


Orlando’s Jameer Nelson gave Derek all the room he needed to make history (Getty Images).

TYPICAL FISH
In a must read piece for the Los Angeles Times, columnist Bill Plaschke delves into the prospect of Derek’s place in Lakers lore, presenting Fish as a workman like character that will now and forever have a place in the hearts of Lakers fans.

“Typical Fish.

Don’t worry, after what happened Thursday night in front of a crowd that was stunned into silence, you’ll see him again.

After his two jaw-flooring three-pointers led the Lakers to a 99-91 overtime victory against the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, you’ll now officially be seeing him forever.

You’ll see him on the firetruck at what is almost certain to be a championship parade after the Lakers took a 3-1 lead in the series. He’ll be in the back of that truck, surrounded by a floppy hat and family, but he’ll be there.

You’ll see him in constant video replays celebrating two shots that were even bigger than his famous 0.4 bucket in the 2004 conference semifinals in San Antonio.

His first shot, with 4.6 seconds remaining in regulation, tied the score. His second shot, with 31.3 seconds left in overtime, essentially won the game.

Only on the second shot did he crack a smile. Not once did he do a victory dance. After both shots he applauded not himself, but his teammates.

Typical Fish.

You also might see him in some sort of Lakers historical display outside Staples Center one day, although if it was a proper representation, his likeness wouldn’t be in the front with Magic Johnson, it will be back by the loading dock with the rest of the working folk.”

STEP INTO THAT DESTINY
For weeks now, D-Fish had spoken with his words in the huddle more than his actions on the court, as noted by Jeff Miller of the OC Register:

“His aged words made for a nice tale, his veteran leadership for a warm story.

But it was Derek Fisher’s youthful actions Thursday that made for something that really matters:

One giant leap toward another championship.

“Step into that destiny,” Fisher told his teammates in a trumpeted in-game speech a series ago.

He did just that in Game 4, stepping into a pair of nearing-midnight 3-pointers – the first necessitating overtime, the second knocking out the Magic – giving the Lakers a 99-91 victory and a 3-games-to-1 lead.”

After struggling through the first three rounds with an erratic shot, D-Fish started getting hot when the calendar turned to June and the stage became the Finals.

Prior to game four, Fish had hit 12 of his 24 shots in the first three finals games, a 50 percent tick.

His numbers from beyond the arc were split the same, 4-8 – 50 percent.

But after making his first shot of the night on Thursday, No. 2 went cold, draining only two of his next eight and missing all five looks from long distance.

Still Fish didn’t lose faith or confidence in himself, and neither did his coach or his teammates.

“I just told them I would not miss,” Derek said. “I would not miss again.”

Once again, Derek delivered on his promise.

“It’s not just about talent, it’s about character, and he’s a person of high character . . . not only in just his gamesmanship but also his intestinal fortitude,” said Coach Phil Jackson.”

RELATED STORIES
Derek Fisher cements status in Lakers lore with nothing but class (Los Angeles Times, June 12, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-plaschke-lakers12-2009jun12,0,1253256.column?track=rss
Derek Fisher leads Lakers to crucial Game 4 OT win over Magic (SI.com, June 12, 2009)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/06/12/magic.lakers/?eref=sircrc
Go Fish: Lakers old man steps into two huge shots (The OC Register, June 12, 2009)
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fisher-game-bryant-2461358-lakers-time
Lakers’ guard Fisher goes from over-the-hill veteran to legend (The LA Daily News, June 12, 2009)
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_12575043?source=rss
Go Fish: Lakers guard sinks threes, Magic to give L.A. commanding lead (The LA Daily News, June 12, 2009)
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_12574766?source=rss