No need to panic. That’s Derek Fisher’s mantra as the Lakers head into a critical Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals tonight.
D-Fish told the Orange County Register on Wednesday that he and his teammates need to remain calm and collected, despite the series now being tied at two games apiece.
"Every game really means the same. You can only play the one that’s next. So tomorrow night’s next, and that is the one that we’re focused on."
Fish added that the Lakers made it this far by playing every game with high intensity and they don’t expect that to change.
"I don’t think the sense of urgency really fluctuates. I don’t know if any team ever decides that one game is better than another, especially when you get to the Western Conference Finals. You approach it that you have an opportunity to win a title."
Los Angeles’ road to the title took on an added degree of difficulty after their trip down to Phoenix yielded a pair of losses to tie the series at 2-2. In Game 4 on Tuesday, D-Fish was 4-7 from the field for eight points. He also had a pair each of rebounds, steals and assists. But LA’s Game 4 loss was highlighted by a vast disparity in free throws, with the Suns shooting 32 to the Lakers 13.
No. 2 knows that complaining about minor things like fouls will only hinder the cause. As a veteran of 14 NBA seasons, Fish also knows how it goes on the road:
"The home team’s going to win more of the 50-50 calls," he said. "We won two games on our home court; they won two games on their home court. So we’ll just play the next game. This is the NBA, and we don’t just go in and beat the best teams on their court on a regular basis. We’ve just got to kind of figure it out as it goes. Right now we’re in a situation where we just need to focus on tomorrow’s game and leave it at that."
However, No. 2 explicitly said that the Lakers shouldn’t go into tonight’s game expecting anything to be handed to them.
"Those aren’t things that we go into the game tomorrow assuming that it’s going to be different. You have to assume that it’s going to be the same, and you have to be sharper and more efficient in terms of your execution so the game doesn’t come down to just a foul shot."
To read Kevin Ding’s entire interview with Derek, click here.
NEXT UP
The Lakers host the Phoenix Suns at the Staples Center tonight in a pivotal Game 5. One team will leave the floor one game from the NBA Finals, the other on the brink of elimination. Tip off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PST and the game can be seen on TNT.
RELATED STORIES
Derek Fisher’s May 26 Interview (OC Register, May 26, 2010)
http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/26/derek-fishers-may-26-interview/36637/