Simply put, when Derek Fisher runs the point, the Lakers win.
The past three seasons, No. 2 has commanded the Lakers to 57 or more wins each year and with another victory last night, this season doesn’t appear to be bucking that consistently stellar trend.
Los Angeles is now 4-0 after beating up on the Memphis Grizzlies, 124-105 on Tuesday night.
No. 2 was up to his usual tricks, knocking down threes with precision, achieving perfection from the foul line and getting other Lakers into the act.
Derek went 2-3 from the three-point line, his second-best showing of the season through four games. Fish also nailed both his free throw attempts and threw out four assists.
No. 2 split his work up fairly equally between the first and second quarter. In the first, he hit a trey and two foul shots to give him five points in the frame.
In the second, Fish did his dishing, with all four of his assists coming in the quarter. He found Pau Gasol on back-to-back plays for four Laker points. Then, a couple plays later, he hit Kobe Bryant on back-to-back threes as LA began to pull away.
Derek hit his other three in the third quarter, and also chipped in two steals in the runaway Lake Show victory.
TO START AND SHARE IN LA
Just four games into the young NBA season the Lakers are rolling and it’s thanks in large part to their new backcourt partnership.
After years of having Jordan Farmar spell Derek at the point, the Lakers brought in Steve Blake in the offseason and the move is already paying dividends for all concerned parties.
"Our goal is to push each other. We’re in the leadership position," Fish told USA Today of his relationship with Blake.
Fish said a point guard must be the team’s natural leader, and he’s glad Blake has the same singular focus he does.
"That’s what Steve is focused on and that’s what I’m focused on — making sure our entire team is playing a certain way."
Their coach Phil Jackson is happy both with how they are playing together and how Derek’s turned it on in the past three games.
"They’re accommodating each other’s styles," Jackson said. "I’ve been pleased with how Derek has come out and played."
Blake, for his part, said the partnership is already flourishing.
"I’m not here to challenge him for a starting spot. I’m here to be his teammate," said Blake. "He helps me if I’m on the court. We’re always communicating and trying to make each other better. He shows me how to get in the offense. He’s vocal in the locker room as far as how to make coverages and make the team better, which is pretty good to see."
And although Derek relishes being on the court, he knows he can never play a full 48 minutes, and is happy to have a capable, quality guard spelling him.
"I trained very hard in the offseason to keep myself prepared to play at all times. But I think I’ve been fortunate to be on some great teams where I’m not asked to do more than what I need to do. I’ve never had to carry that big of a load and that’s helped me physically, as well."
NEXT UP
Tonight, the two guard tandem takes on the Sacramento Kings in ARCO Arena.
In his first game against Sacramento last season, Fish scored 11 points, threw out three assists and pulled down four rebounds.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PST and the game can be seen on ESPN.
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