One thing Derek Fisher and the Lakers certainly have over most other teams is experience.
Prior to, during and after each game, they use that experience to get better. For D-Fish, who knows how important it is to continue to improve and adapt, that’s what you take from a loss like the Lakers suffered Wednesday night in Dallas, their second defeat in three games after a seven-game winning streak.
"We need adversity. We need ups and downs. That’s really where true growth takes place is during struggles and adverse situations," Derek said. "That goes for individuals as well as groups. As a team, after tough losses or a bad stretch, you’re forced to look in the mirror. You have to questions some things. Are we doing the right things offensively and defensively? Without that, you’d never ask yourself those tough questions."
D-Fish has asked himself those very questions and, in seeking out the answers, found himself in a groove.
After a stellar performance in the Lakers’ Monday night win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Derek followed with another strong night in Dallas on Wednesday.
No. 2 scored nine points on 4-of-6 from the floor and added three rebounds, two assists and a block. It was Derek’s second straight game shooting over 50 percent from the field and he’s 9-of-16 this week.
But even with his showing, the Lakers couldn’t stage a fourth quarter comeback and lost to the Mavericks 109-110 at the American Airlines Center.
No. 2 kicked off the game Wednesday as a facilitator, dishing out to Ron Artest for a three that got LA on the scoreboard.
Midway through the quarter, Artest returned the favor, kicking out to Fish, who got himself on the board with a long jumper to stretch the Lakers’ early lead to five. Two minutes later, Derek sunk another deep jumper, then rounded out his first quarter with a three-pointer to push the lead to eight. He ended the quarter as LA’s scoring leader and the Lakers finished the frame ahead 31-23.
Fish got an assist in the second, and finished off his scoring for the evening with a bucket early in the third. But it was in that same frame that Dallas overcame a six-point halftime deficit and outscored the Lakers by 13 points to take a lead into the fourth, where they hung on for the win.
The Lakers come off the loss to Dallas into yet another big game tonight, their third straight against a West playoff contender, and this time they’ll be doing it in the thin air of Denver where they take on the Nuggets. But it’s their experience that keeps them motivated.
"There are very few teams, with the exception of maybe the Celtics, that I can think of that experience-wise can even come close to matching up," Fish told reporters. "It makes a huge difference. What you can’t do in speed or athleticism or quickness, having been through the battles and the experiences and the adversity and the situation, it helps you keep the type of composure and poise you need to win big games.
"Because of where we’ve been in terms of our coaching staff and a lot of our veteran players, you’re going to find it difficult at times to be at a ‘10′ level for 120 games. That’s challenging, to go through the ups and downs. But we’ve found ways to figure it out the last couple of years and that’s what we’ll continue to do this year."
The Lakers tip-off their 45th game of the season tonight at 7:30 p.m. PST against the Denver Nuggets. The game can be seen nationwide on ESPN.
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