Derek Fisher embraces his role on the Los Angeles Lakers knowing that it’s not his job to carry the scoring load.
But after a tough loss at the hands of their in-house rivals the LA Clippers on Sunday afternoon, D-Fish felt the need to assert himself.
"The way I’ve been playing, coming off the loss yesterday, I felt that there were some shots that I missed that, to be frank, were easy shots," Derek said. "I haven’t really been thinking about scoring. It’s been difficult. Tonight I wanted to reestablish particular mindset. It was something that was really bothering me after losing the game last night and something I wanted to do tonight."
D-Fish answered with a season-high 15 points on 50 percent shooting to push the Lakers to a 101-94 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For No. 2 to have such a breakout game against the Thunder wasn’t much of a shock. After all, in their six-game duel in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs last season, he had three games of double-digit points.
On Monday night, he picked up right where he and the Lakers left off against Oklahoma City, hitting his first shot of the game, a three-pointer off a feed from Kobe Bryant. Fish said his goal, in taking four first quarter shots, was different from his typical focus.
"Tonight I wanted to get back to focusing on taking advantages of the opportunities that were there. I’ve been thinking a lot about directing and making sure we’re running our offense and doing the things I need to do for everyone else, and I wanted to get back to doing some things for myself. And I did early."
Derek scored five points in the first on 2-of-4 from the field, then added five more in the second on one basket and a perfect 3-of-3 from the foul line.
The high-volume of shots was a change of pace because on a Lakers team where there are so many scorers, Fish carries a lighter load and is only averaging 6.5 shots per game this season.
"I can’t say I’ve had a ton of good open looks. Playing 30 minutes, there’s a lot of stretches where I don’t shoot and its hard to get into a rhythm," Derek said. "Early in the season, it’s always hard to tell how things are going to break out, but the pattern of our team has been
[me getting] about six or so shot opportunities per game, so it’s been tough for me to have the consistency I would like to have in terms of percentage."By the time the first half ended, Fish had scored as many points in one half as he had in any game since mid-November. But Derek wasn’t done.
No. 2 scored five more points in the third, when he hit back-to-back shots, a floating two and then a three ball, to kick off the quarter. The consecutive buckets squelched a run that had given the Thunder a brief lead. Following Fish’s five, the Lakers led the rest of the way.He also followed up that sweet sequence with a dime to Ron Artest for three, making him partially responsible for the first eight points of a 14-2 Lakers run that swung the game in LA’s favor.
TAKING CHARGE
While D-Fish was having one of his best scoring nights of the season, he didn’t let down on the defensive end.In fact, it was just the opposite. No. 2 turned up the intensity on defense, grabbed two steals and made one of the bigger plays of the game when he stepped in front of a driving Kevin Durant and held his ground, taking a charge from the NBA’s leading scorer. That charge came in the midst of a 14-0 Lakers run midway through the third that bulged their led to 13.
Derek said after the game that he was just doing what he’s been taught to:
"I kind of grew up on doing those things," Fish said. "That’s the way I’ve always played basketball, playing defense, taking charges and doing whatever it takes to win. As a team we’ve tried to make a more concerted effort to get bodies in front of the basket. We all have to be willing to lead by example.
"Even though it’s not something that’s a huge difference for me personally, I still want to be a guy that helps set the tone in that regard."
To watch Derek talk more about the team after Monday’s big victory, courtesy of Mark Medina and the LA Times Lakers Blog, click here.
GOING STRONG
The win was LA’s eighth in their last nine games and they’ve also won 10-of-12.That streak includes a 100-88 victory over the Nets last Friday, in which Derek and the Lakers turned homecoming for Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic into a rude welcome.
No. 2 scored six points and dished out a pair of assists in the victory over New Jersey as he and his fellow guards combined to limit Farmar and Vujacic to 12-of-27 from the field.Derek was timely with his scoring and his distribution. He hit the Lakers second bucket of the game, dropping a trey that put Los Angeles up three and bookended halftime by scoring the Lakers last points of the second quarter on two free throws, then finding Andrew Bynum to kick off the third quarter with an assist.
The win extended LA’s win-streak to seven, but they saw it evaporate on their home floor Sunday in a 99-92 loss to the Clippers. Derek was limited to two points, two assists and three rebounds on the evening, providing motivation for his Monday night outburst.
After their rebound win over Oklahoma City on Monday, Fish said he was proud of how his team responded to the Clippers loss, saying times like these forge the team’s will.
"[It’s] difficult to be at a 10 level for 120 games. But we’ve found ways to figure it out. I think we need adversity. We need ups-and-downs. That’s where true growth takes place."
NEXT UP
The Lakers head off on a two-game road trip this week taking them through the home arenas of two Western Conference playoff contenders, Dallas and Denver.The trip begins in Dallas on Wednesday night as the Lakers take on the suddenly struggling Mavericks. Once second in the Western Conference, the Mavs are losers of six straight. It’s the first meeting between the two teams this season.
The game tips of at 6 p.m. PST and can be seen locally on KCAL-TV and nationally on ESPN.
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