It was a wonderful weekend at home for Derek Fisher and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Oklahoma City outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night and then crushed Miami Heat on Sunday night to complete an impressive two-game swing and inch closer to the top of the NBA.
The Thunder walk off after Friday’s win over Minnesota (Getty Images).
While they proved to be a huge confidence booster for OKC, the weekend games were also perfect practice for Derek, who is still learning the Thunder playbook.
"I’m getting more comfortable playing with these guys and knowing where I’m supposed to be on the floor," Fisher said. "I haven’t shot the ball well overall, but I’m starting to think less about what spots I’m supposed to be in and if this is the right shot based on the offense. It’s coming along really well."
In Friday’s game, a double overtime thriller against Minnesota, Derek struggled from the floor, missing his first eight shots of the game. But Fish showed the Thunder his toughness, both mental and physical, playing 36 minutes and making an impact in both overtime periods.
With just under three minutes left in the first overtime, D-Fish made his first shot of the night, a running jumper, to tie the game at 120. The Wolves still managed to take the lead late in the first OT, but a Kevin Durant triple with 10.1 to go sent the game to a second overtime.
Derek played an important role in double OT too, grabbing a defensive rebound and outletting to Russell Westbrook, who finished with a fastbreak dunk to put OKC up by six with just over a minute left to play. Moments later, Derek dropped the dagger, as he nailed a three point shot with 28 ticks remaining to make it an 11-point game and seal the 149-140 win. D-Fish finished with five points, three assists and a steal.
"He brings toughness," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "He brings experience. He knows how to play. He makes the simple plays all the time. He’s not looking to make the spectacular, acrobatic plays. He’s just making solid basketball plays. That’s what he’s done for 16 years, and he’s going to continue to do that. He’s a solid guy. We love having him."
Fish talks to teammate Kevin Durant during a timeout (Getty Images).
Thunder teammates believe that Derek’s veteran experience will be an added bonus as he quickly adjusts to the new offense. Kevin Durant thinks that Derek’s five rings pretty much say it all.
"We looked up to (Kendrick Perkins) when he had one ring," Durant said. "So to get five is just on another level. So we’re just trying to soak as much information out of those guys as we can. Perk has been great for us this last year. Having Fish for just one game, he was talking to guys and encouraging guys and telling us what he sees out on the floor. After a few hours, that meant a lot to us. So I can imagine what it’s going to be like for the next three or four weeks."
OKC showed their championship potential again on Sunday with a sound thumping up the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in what many believe was an NBA Finals preview.
The 103-87 victory was special on both ends of the court for the Thunder. Five OKC players scored in double figures and everybody did their part defensively, holding Miami to 87 points.
In the second, Derek, who played 18 minutes in the victory, made a hustle play that stopped a LeBron James dunk and forced a Miami turnover. The turning point of the game, came during the second quarter when Oklahoma City went on a 12-2 run.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks was impressed by Derek’s work ethic (Getty Images).
Oklahoma City forced 21 turnovers that led to 28 points and had 13 steals against the Heat. Miami tried to make a comeback, but the Thunder’s offense was unstoppable and answered nearly every Heat basket. OKC coach Scott Brooks credited Derek’s leadership already with helping the Thunder win three straight games and he believes it will be incredibly beneficial for the team the rest of this season and beyond:
"He’s another coach on the floor, and he’s another coach on the bench," Brooks added. "Not only is he going to help us this year, but just him being around and how he acts and how he presents himself and represents himself is going to be huge for our guys moving forward."
Brooks said that it’s the little things Derek does that strike him the most and his work ethic is second to none.
"The thing that really impresses me is he comes in and does his work," OKC coach Scott Brooks said. "He’s really professional. He’s thorough. He’s diligent in his work. He’s always early. He gets his time in before and after practice. He’s not just sitting down and grabbing guys (to come) over. You can’t do that. There’s always a grace period, a comfort level that guys need and that he needs with guys."
According to Fish, it’s all part of being on and building a championship team with a championship mentality.
"The acceptance that the fans gave me the first night I suited up for the Thunder, that says it all," Fisher said. "No matter how bad you want it or you expect to get it, you still have to go out there and play the game. Championships, unfortunately, don’t fall out of the sky."
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