It’s often said that long road trips give an NBA team the chance to bond and become a more cohesive unit.
Derek Fisher and the Los Angeles Lakers will have plenty of time to do just that.
LA departed Friday on a 13-day, seven-game road trip that begins tonight in New Orleans against the Hornets.
During this trip, the Lakers will take on two West teams, before heading East for the final five games, four of which come against East playoff contenders. Of the seven games on the trip, five are against teams above .500.
At 15-8, Fish and Co. already boast one of the NBA’s best road records, they’ll have to continue that pace to get on track over the next two weeks.
"I’m curious," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson told the LA Times. "We’re playing well on the road as a basketball team and we know it, but we just have to keep playing that way."
The Lakers open the trip tonight against the Hornets, a team they’ve already defeated twice this season. In both games this year against the Hornets, Derek was a master facilitator.
In a late December Lakers win, Fish led all players with eight assists on the night. He had an assist on the Lakers first possession, and finished the first quarter with three. By the end of the night he’d found five different Lakers, and Los Angeles romped, 103-88.
One week later, things didn’t change much. Fish notched six assists, and the Lakers again beat the Hornets. In that contest, Derek found four different Lakers and Los Angeles won 101-97.
The Lakers will be looking to rebound Saturday from a last-second loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. Tonight’s game against the Hornets tips off at 5 p.m. PST and can be seen on KCAL-TV.
LAKERS UNSCRIPTED
While LA is away, be sure to check them out on NBA TV’s NBA Unscripted on Monday at 3 p.m. on NBA TV.
Click here for a preview of the episode.
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