A fast start isn’t just what Derek Fisher needed this season, it’s what the Lakers as a team needed too.
Fish scored double-digit points in back-to-back wins this weekend, a feat he didn’t accomplish last year until the end of November and in doing so he pushed the Lakers to two straight wins. LA is now 3-0 to start their run at a third straight title.
Against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, Fish’s 11 points on 4-9 shooting propelled the Lakers to a victory over their rival. But that was just the beginning of the weekend for No. 2.
Against Golden State on Sunday, he started the Lakers off right.
One minute into the game, with the score tied at two, D-Fish took a pass from Lamar Odom and went to the bucket for a layup for his first points of the evening. Four minutes later, Derek hit a 15-footer off another LO dime. He got fouled on the attempt and drained the subsequent free throw for the unconventional three-point play.
A minute-and-a-half later, Fish got fouled again and hit both his freebies from the charity stripe. After two Warriors buckets cut Los Angeles’ lead to six, Derek hit a long jumper, once again off a feed from Odom and the lead went back to eight. By the time he took a seat on the bench for a breather, Fish had scored nine points in the first frame as the Lakers opened up a 34-14 lead. From there they cruised to a 107-83 victory.
It was an efficient night for D-Fish as well, who took only six shots and hit five. His 83 percent from the field was his best in a game with over two shots since last November.
RESPECT FOR HIS ELDERS
October 31st wasn’t just another game in the packed NBA slate. It was also a milestone, the 60th anniversary of the first African-American to play in the NBA.
Earl Lloyd broke the color barrier on Halloween in 1950 and paved the way for numerous African-Americans to join him in playing professional basketball. Asked about the momentous anniversary, Fish had some sage words.
"Without the sacrifices that they made, none of us would really have the opportunities that we have now," D-Fish told ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin. "Or it would be vastly different at least, minimum. I think there are a lot of us who recognize that. Guys that don’t, I don’t know if it’s a referendum on the league or any particular body, just more so similar to any other important parts of American history that we just tend to forget as the years go by."
NEXT UP
The Lakers finish a short two-game homestand tonight as they host the Memphis Grizzlies.
In three games against the Grizz last season, Fish had two peaks and a valley, scoring ten points, two points and 11 points, as the Lakers went 2-1, with both wins coming on Fish’s double digit days.
Tuesday’s tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PST and the game can be seen locally on FS West or nationally on NBA TV.
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