Each Los Angeles Lakers starter scored in double digits in Tuesday’s Game 5 win over the New Orleans Hornets. But ask Derek Fisher whose contributions were most vital to the Lakers taking a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Quarterfinals and he’ll point to the other guys.
Derek believes acclaim is due to the Lakers bench for their Game 5 win.
Derek gave credit to the Lakers bench for getting LA back into the game at the start of the second quarter after a rough first.
"I think our guys coming off the bench did a great job," he said. "
[The starters] allowed New Orleans to get in rhythm and get comfortable in the first quarter. They put up 32 points and that’s something we can’t allow to happen. Our guys off the bench came in and got it going."The momentum really changed in that second quarter with our bench."
As the Lakers head into Game 6 tonight in front of a hostile New Orleans crowd, it’s likely they’ll have to rely on their reserves again to maintain or create momentum. According to No. 2, the energy that LA’s bench crew brings to the game is a boon to the Lakers because each member of the reserves takes pride in what they do. So when, after the LA starters allowed the Hornets to open a nine-point lead at the end of one in Game 5, the reserves answered with 10 straight points to retake the lead, Fish wasn’t surprised.
"The guys off the bench, their energy is different," he said. "I think Matt [Barnes] was really active with his hands on some loose balls. Steve [Blake] was running and getting some rebounds, Shannon [Brown] knocked down a couple big shots, and then Lamar [Odom]’s versatility, where he can rebound and push the ball [helped]. So I think the game just kind of opened up. But I think defensively they were a little more active, and rotating better and caused more to happen in that second quarter."
The Lakers got strong contributions all over the floor in the Game 5 win. Their guard tandem of Fish and Kobe Bryant combined to score 32 points on 13-of-19 from the field. Their bigs (Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum) added 47 points. But Derek said the most telling part of Tuesday’s win was that the Lakers never let up and played a strong game wire-to-wire.
"We always say 48 minutes because you want to try and play the best that you can every minute out there," he said. "But you realize there are going to be runs and momentum swings in a game. But 48 minutes applies to effort, playing hard and I thought we did that for the most part."
With their extended effort, Los Angeles controlled the game from the second quarter on.
"They made a little bit of a run at the end of the half," D-Fish said. "But I think in the third quarter we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do and that’s really what it comes down to."
No. 2 could see that his teammates were motivated. They amped up their efforts to make big plays, but they also did some little things to secure possessions.
"We spent the two days talking about, more than anything, that there were a lot of situations in Game 4 where the 50-50 balls, they got all of them," he said. "So I was glad to see [Tuesday] our second chance points and those things related to us hustling for the ball and getting after it, were more in our favor."
LA also did its best job all series of putting the clamps on Hornets point guard Chris Paul from the second quarter on. Paul erupted for eight assists in the first as New Orleans stormed out to a lead. But over the next three quarters, the Hornets’ point man dished just four more dimes. He was also limited to just five baskets over the final three frames. Hornets coach Monty Williams noticed the Lakers getting more physical with Paul:
"They’re a physical team," he said. "Derek Fisher is one of the more physical guards in the league. Kobe Bryant can defend better than most two guards in the league, and they can throw a number of guys at Chris."
The Lakers will be working toward a repeat performance tonight when they return to New Orleans for Game 6. The last time the teams played in the Big Easy, Paul went off for a 27-point, 15-assist, 13-rebound triple double, leading the Hornets to a 93-88 win.
Derek knows that there are plenty of things the Lakers can do better tonight, even better than they did in Game 5.
"Offensively we need to continue to work on our execution and get better, but it really comes down to making stops and keeping this team down," Fish said. "They scored 90 tonight. I think we can even do a better job of keeping this team in the 80’s really focusing on our half court defense and our transition defense."
Tip-off of Game 6 is set for 5 PT and the game can be seen on TNT.
LABOR TALK
Recent developments between the NFL and its players’ association in court haven’t missed Fish’s eye.Despite being locked in a tight playoff series, Derek, the NBPA President, has kept himself abreast of developments that could influence the NBA labor negotiations after the season concludes.
"I anticipate a lot happening between now and July 1 on our side," Derek said. "And because of what is playing out on the NFL side, I think you’ll see both sides in the NBA watching it closely, making adjustments and adapting to things based on what is going on."
But Fish also said he would much rather see the situation resolved in a clean negotiation instead of having to rely on the court system.
"Our goal is to get a deal done and not to have to decertify and go into court situations to drag the process out," he said. "NBA basketball has never been better. There’s no reason for us to consciously do anything to take that away from the most important group of people, which is our fans. They’re the ones that are investing their time and their resources, their money, in the most troubling economic times of just about all of our lifetimes.
"This game is still growing in that environment. We have a responsibility to them to try to get something figured out."
For more on Fish’s thoughts read JA Adande’s TrueHoop article here and Lisa Dillman’s LA Times piece here:
RELATED STORIES
- Chris Paul ties record with assists (LA Times, April 27, 2011)
- Lakers play up their strengths going into Game 6 (LA Times, April 28, 2011)
- Postgame: Derek Fisher (Lakers.com, April 26, 2011)
- Derek Fisher on implications of the NFL lockout being lifted (LA Times, April 25, 2011)
- Fisher reaction to NFL lockout ruling (ESPN TrueHoop, April 25, 2011)