With the Lakers needing some help to snap their most recent losing skid, their captains stepped up and helped deliver a win.
Derek Fisher played his most minutes since mid-January and scored 11 big points as the Lakers stopped a two-game losing streak with a 114-106 win over the Houston Rockets in overtime on Tuesday night.
Derek and Kobe stepped up big for the Lakers on Tuesday.
No. 2’s 11 points were his best showing since a 15-point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder last month. He had a remarkably efficient night, draining 3-of-4 from the field, including both his shots from long range, and 3-of-5 from the free throw line. He also added three steals, a block, two assists and a rebound.
Derek again got in the scoring act early, hitting the Lakers’ second bucket of the game, on a short jumper. But he didn’t stop there. A few minutes later Fish bombed a trey that gave LA an early seven-point lead.
Four minutes later, Derek found Ron Artest for a three, then hit his second triple of the night, giving him eight points in the first quarter, another hot opening frame for the vet.
He added a foul shot in the second quarter, but saved his last bit of scoring for the extra frame.
Tied at 98 at the end of regulation, Los Angeles and Houston went to overtime, the Lakers first trip to extra time this season. In OT, Derek picked off an errant pass and darted down the court looking for a go-ahead score. On his way to the bucket, Fish was fouled. So with the score still tied, he calmly sank two free throws that gave Los Angeles a two-point lead with less than 90 seconds to play. The Lakers held on and another small skid was snapped.
NO STRESS
According to Derek, the fact that there was any worry, after what amounts to just two Laker losses, speaks volumes.
"It says a lot about what we want to accomplish," he said, "to be one of the top three or four teams in the league in terms of best record, and to be second in the Western Conference behind only a team that has played the best of any team in recent memory through 47 games and still kind of feel like we’re failures in a sense."
With a record of 34-15, the Lakers currently sit second in the Western Conference and fifth in the NBA through 49 games. But Fish believes that the only analysis worth merit is the one conducted by the players in the locker room and with more than 30 games left to play and minimal ground to make up, LA is keeping an even keel.
"No fingers being pointed — most of it is how we feel about ourselves," he said. "Whether it’s management, coaches, or players. We don’t feel like we’re playing at our best level. At the same time, I’m not of the theory that the kitchen sink needs to go in order to get things worked out."
On Wednesday, Derek went on TBS’ Lopez Tonight to discuss a variety of matters and he joked to host George Lopez that he was just spreading the good word:
"Sometimes when you get beat up in the media and in the public, like a good politician, you have to get out there and sell your own message and convince the people things are going to be okay."
To watch Derek’s entire appearance on Lopez tonight, in which he talks more about the Lakers and encourages fans to vote him into the Taco Bell All-Star Skills Challenge, click here.
NEXT UP
D-Fish and the Lakers are in for a big one tonight as they host the league-leading San Antonio Spurs at the Staples Center.
As two of the league’s preeminent franchises of the last decade, Derek sees a lot of similarities in the Lakers and Spurs, but notes that their success has been achieved in drastically different manners:
"I think the Spurs and the Lakers have shown that it’s not necessarily just about salary numbers or coaching styles or which offense you run," he told ESPN LA. "It’s really about your ability to have the right coach, the right management and leadership styles, the right personnel to fit what you’re trying to do, but the organizations have done it in totally different ways."
But regardless of past accomplishments, No. 2 knows the Lakers will have to be on top of their game tonight.
"They’re playing a selfless brand of basketball," Fish said of the Spurs. "We’re going to have to fight every second of every minute to figure out a way to win."
Tonight’s game tips off at 7:30 PST and can be seen nationally on TNT.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher unconcerned (ESPN.com, February 2, 2011)
- Death, taxes and Spurs/Lakers (ESPN LA, February 3, 2011)
- Ron Artest says he’s happy to be with Lakers (LA Times, February 3, 2011)