Being Derek Fisher means being reliable and clutch.
There is no place in an NBA game that those two characteristics become a necessity more than in late game situations at the foul line.
With the Los Angeles Lakers leading by just one and 14 seconds remaining, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook fouled D-Fish, forcing him to the line. Fish hit both his free throws, putting the Lakers up three.
 Driving up court against OKC (Getty Images). |
When Westbrook’s last ditch three rimmed out, the Lakers had themselves a 111-108 victory, the winning margin coming almost solely from Fish.
Fish’s contributions, though, didn’t come just at the charity stripe, although he did make all four of his attempts at the free throw line. He was also hot from deep, going three for five from behind the arc on his way to tying his season high in points, with 15.
"You know, I thought Fish
[Derek Fisher] played very well," Lakers coach Phil Jackson told the LA Times. "Maybe I should mention that. His defense was solid. He made some steals. I like that."No. 2 also tossed out four assists, two to Kobe Bryant, and one each to Ron Artest and Lamar Odom. D-Fish finished with a rebound and steal as well, filling out the stat sheet with another rounded performance.
LATE NIGHT WITH DEREK FISHER
Derek, who made a cameo when Kobe Bryant went on the premiere of the George Lopez Show, finally gets late-night to himself, appearing tonight on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. The appearance will air at 11:30 p.m. PST on NBC.
NEXT UP
The Lakers are off until Christmas Day when they battle LeBron James and the Central Division-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. The game will be the centerpiece of ESPN’s Christmas hoops marathon and airs nationally at 2 p.m. PST on ABC.RELATED ARTICLES
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