Derek Fisher’s scoring run slowed slightly Wednesday night, as D-Fish dropped in six points but most importantly for he and his Lakers teammates, LA ended the first half on a high note.
Despite being without the services of two starters, Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum yet again, Los Angeles jumped all over a Utah team that had won its last nine games, routing the Jazz 96-81
The Lakers took a three-point lead early and with a minute to go in the first, went on a 10-0 run. By the end of the second, they were up by 15 points. They kept the foot on the gas in the second half and at the end the third period they held a twenty-point margin over the Jazz, who had been scorching hot over their last 10 games.
Fish did all his scoring in the second half, connecting on two of three free throws and nailing two fourth quarter buckets for his six points. He also threw out two assists and grabbed two rebounds in the victory.
DUNK-OLOGY
Thanks to a savvy marketing campaign and his natural ability, Lakers guard Shannon Brown will be throwing it down in this weekend’s Sprite Slam Dunk Competition at NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas.
As a fellow Lakers point guard and somewhat of a mentor to the young Brown, Fish was asked if he had any ideas for what Shannon could do to win. But D-Fish noted that his experience competitive in dunking is somewhat limited.
"I don’t even know what the air smells like that high," Fish told the Orange County Register. "He and Kobe and other players who pay rent up that high, let them worry about that."
Back in the day, D-Fish could throw down when he wanted to. Just ask Allen Iverson. But Fish said his in-game dunks are apples and oranges compared to what Shan-Wow can do.
"
[I could] a little bit," Fish said of his dunking ability. "But what he (Brown) does is totally different than what I used to do. I wish I had (kept pictures) because my step-son doesn’t believe I could dunk."NEXT UP
Derek gets some rest and relaxation this weekend thanks to the NBA All-Star Break. No. 2 will return to the court Tuesday, when the Lakers play the Golden State Warriors.
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Gasol, Lakers end Jazz’s nine-game winning streak (ESPN.com, Feb. 10, 2010)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/300210026/la-lakers-lakers-vs-utah-jazz
Kobe to be part of Brown’s dunk contest (OC Register, Feb. 10, 2010)
http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2010/02/10/kobe-to-be-a-part-of-browns-dunk-contest/30233/