Derek Fisher has been in the NBA long enough to know that there’s a certain ebb and flow to every season.
So when the Oklahoma City Thunder followed a six-game winning streak upon his arrival with three straight losses entering Sunday night, Derek knew just what needed to happen for OKC to get back on track.
Derek and the Thunder buckled down Sunday to stop their skid (Getty Images).
The Thunder played a complete game and got a total of 40 points from D-Fish and the rest of their second unit on the way to a 91-75 defeat of the Toronto Raptors. Derek pitched in seven of those points and an assist to the winning cause.
"If I get three or four shots in a game, I’d love to make all three or four of them. But the main part is really helping that second group become a cohesive unit," Derek told The Oklahoman. "So when we step on the floor we know what we want to do offensively. We know how to cover for each other on the defensive end. And that coach can trust us whether we have a 20-point lead or we’re down 10.
"That’s the biggest piece of what I need to do. I think that’s what Eric (Maynor) did a great job of before he got hurt is really leading that second unit from that standpoint."
The Thunder got off to a solid start on Sunday night, grabbing a five-point lead in the early stages of the game. But the score was tied when coach Scott Brooks went to the bench for the first time.
James Harden and Nick Collison came in with just under four minutes to go in the first and had the lead back to five by the time Derek entered with 2:18 remaining in the quarter. The reserve group held onto a five-point edge as they went into the second quarter.
Fish earned a trip to the free throw line just 27 seconds into the second quarter and sank one of two to increase Oklahoma City’s lead to six. Moments later, he knocked down a 25-foot trey to push OKC’s edge to eight. The Thunder continued to pour it on, putting together a 21-8 run that spanned from the end of the first deep into the second quarter.
When Derek exited with 6:30 left in the half, the OKC advantage was 12. Toronto made a late surge in the closing minutes of the half to cut their deficit to seven. The Raptors maintained that momentum in the early moments of the third, cutting the OKC lead down to three with over six minutes to go in the quarter.
Fish gave OKC coach Scott Brooks the little things he wants out of his players.
Brooks went back to his bench, bringing in Harden, and minutes later Fish and Collison, to stabilize the lead. The reserve trio did just that, teaming with Thunder stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to finish the third on a 12-0 run to take a 15-point lead into the fourth. Derek said the performance of the reserve group will be crucial to the team’s success down the stretch.
"The biggest thing is in that second group in particular that we continue to find ways to be effective," he told the Oklahoman. "Not just in getting James
[Harden] the ball and allowing him to do his thing but really becoming a unit and being five guys that can impact a game and change the pace of a game in comparison to our starters. I think that’s going to be key for us down the stretch."The reserves stayed hot to start the fourth, even after Westbrook and Durant headed to the bench. They piled up 12 consecutive points to start the quarter, pushing the lead as high as 27 points with 9:35 to go.
The 24-0 run was finally ended by Toronto with 9:09 to go and they trimmed the lead down to 17 with four minutes to go, but Derek nailed another three-pointer with 3:38 left to play, pushing lead back to 20 points.
Derek remained in to finish the game, playing the entire fourth quarter for 12 of his 22 minutes on the night. Coach Scott Brooks said that Derek did all the things that don’t show up in the box score to help the Thunder to a win.
"I can’t emphasize that enough," Brooks said of those traits. "He just does all the little things that help you win games. That’s who he is."
SHOTS WILL COME
Derek’s two made threes on Sunday, bring his total to five in 10 games since joining the Thunder.The threes were actually the first ones he has made since March 27, a span of more than five games. He missed five threes during that slump and is shooting just 25 percent from deep since joining Oklahoma City.
But Derek isn’t worried about his shot at the moment. He knows it’s only a matter of time before his rhythm comes in that respect.
"I haven’t spent a lot of time drilling myself over the number of shots being made because I’m not a volume shooter," he said. "I’m not a guy that’s going to get a lot of shots. It’s more about timely baskets, being able to make shots when you need to make shots."
Fish said he knows his shot will come as he continutes to work (Getty Images).
With so many scorers on the team, Fish knows it’s not his job to take too many shots for the Thunder. In fact, his eight shots on Sunday were the most he had taken since shooting 11 times in a double overtime game against Minnesota on March 23. As he has been with every other aspect of Derek’s game, coach Scott Brooks has been impressed with Derek’s mental approach to his shooting slump."It’s easy to focus on the shooting percentage, but that will come. Every player will go through a hot streak, a cold streak and a streak that’s who you are." Brooks said. "Most players would think, ‘Man, I’m not shooting the ball well. The team is not going to do well with me shooting bad.’ But Derek understands because of all the history he has in this league that the little things help you win games."
Thunder GM Sam Presti agreed with Brooks that Derek’s value to the team goes far beyond his ability to knock down shots.
"We looked at it as an opportunity to enhance our team on the floor and to our depth but also an avenue to accelerate our development in other ways as well," Presti told USA Today. "Derek’s been a part of high performance teams throughout his career and we feel he will help us on the floor and in the areas that we have identified early in the year as important to the evolution of our team."
As for the shots, Derek says he’s not panicking, but his work ethic will drive him to stay in the gym as long as he has to until they catch up with the rest of his game.
"I’m as comfortable as I can be personally in terms of being with these guys and with this team and these coaches. Everything is great from that standpoint," he told the Oklahoman. "On the floor, I’m still finding my way but still pretty comfortable.
"I don’t think [my shooting] something that is going to impact my confidence or my ability to help us. I’m going to keep spending my time before and after practice and shootaround and that part will come. I’m confident in that. I’m just looking forward to finishing strong."
NEXT UP
Fish and the Thunder head north to face the tough defense of the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CDT and the game will be televised on FSN Oklahoma.
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we miss you in la. hope things are working out for you. i watched you with the Lakers for years and always enjoyed your play .good luck.
As a San Antonio guy …you shatter my dreams with a half second left… but as a NBA fan I back you 10% against Billy Hunter…please do not back down, the Players Association is being played big time by the HUNTER family.