Derek Fisher helped the Los Angeles Lakers power through the end of a long road trip this weekend with two big wins on the East Coast.
LA finished off its six-game trip with wins in Philadelphia on Friday and Toronto on Sunday. After starting the trip with a win as the road team on their home floor against the Clippers, the Lakers followed with a loss in Chicago. But after that defeat, they won their last five on the road to get back on track.
"We basically just figured out a way to win the games as the schedule presented them," Derek said. "It’s tough for me to ever feel bad about playing seven NBA teams and winning six of them on the road. I don’t care who it is you play against, if you can beat six out of seven NBA teams, you’ve done a pretty good job."
The Lakers return home sporting a five-game winning streak, but things don’t get any easier. They host Eastern Conference playoff contender Milwaukee tonight as an appetizer for Saturday, when the Miami Heat come to Staples Center for one of the most anticipated battles of the season, on Christmas Day.
These Lakers look different upon their return home than they did when they left. Gone is reserve guard Sasha Vujacic, traded away to the New Jersey Nets in a deal that brought veteran big man Joe Smith to LA. The Lakers also welcomed center Andrew Bynum back from injury during the road trip.
"There were some things that made it a little bit different of a trip than just coming together with the guys you’ve had. You lost a guy, you brought in a new guy and they guy that’s just been injured is coming back."
Over the weekend, it was the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors who fell victim to Fish and the Lakers.
The Sixers came first on Friday and behind eight points, three assists and three rebounds from No. 2, the Lakers won 93-81. Fish balanced his scoring on the evening, with two points in the first, four in the third and two in the fourth. Two of No. 2’s assists went to Lamar Odom, while the other found Pau Gasol.
On Sunday, Fish put forth a similar effort, doing the little things to get LA another W. D-Fish scored seven points, with two rebounds and a pair of assists. But Derek also managed to effect the game another way, leading everyone on the floor with four steals.
To watch Derek talk more about the road trip and that the Lakers face ahead of them, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times, click here.
NEXT UP
The Lakers are back as the home squad at Staples Center for the first time in two weeks as they host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight.
The Lakers beat the Bucks in Milwaukee on November 16th with Fish putting in ten points in the victory so the Bucks will be looking to take one back tonight.
"We just have to figure out a way to win after coming off the road for a couple of weeks and getting back comfortable on our home court," Derek said.
The game tips off at 7:30 and can be caught on FS West.
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