Finals Notebook
Fisher Is The Key For Lakers
Hal Hoke, left, and his son, Chase, search for tickets outside Amway Arena in Orlando before last night's Game 3.
(By John Raoux -- Associated Press)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
ORLANDO, June 9 -- Derek Fisher, the Los Angeles Lakers' veteran point guard, has been asked to shoulder more of a load against the Orlando Magic with his backups, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown, proving to be ineffective in the first two games of the NBA Finals.
In the first two games, Fisher averaged 10.5 points and two assists and shot 53.3 percent in 36.5 minutes. He had an impressive performance in Game 2: 12 points with three steals, including two in overtime, when he played the entire five minutes.
"This is a reason why Derek has been playing 24 to 28 minutes during the course of the season, so that he could have this type of minutes during the playoffs," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "He's capable of playing. It's recovery time that's necessary for him. We know how valuable he is just for his heavy play out there and his ability to organize our game and keep everything in flow. So that was important for us to have him out there."
The 34-year-old Fisher finished with 41 minutes in Game 2, the most he has played in any game this postseason. "Whatever it takes at this point," he said.
Fisher made a critical steal with the Lakers holding a 92-91 lead in overtime, when the Magic ran a screen-and-roll with Dwight Howard and J.J. Redick. Fisher anticipated Redick's pass to Howard and stole the ball after it bounced off Howard's legs. He then raced upcourt, lunged into Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu to draw the foul and made both free throws to extend the lead to three.
Howard's Frustration Builds
Howard has just one dunk in the first two games of the NBA Finals, off a pass from Rashard Lewis with 5 minutes 32 seconds left in the third period of Game 2.
The former slam dunk champion, who led the NBA in dunks this season, admitted the Lakers have frustrated him, but that might be putting it lightly.
"I don't know if he's frustrated, but I know he's mad," Turkoglu said. "He doesn't have a lot of space right now to be dominant."
Van Gundy Defends Lee
Magic rookie guard Courtney Lee has taken criticism for missing a potential game-winning layup attempt with 0.6 of a second remaining in regulation of the 101-96 overtime loss on Sunday, but Coach Stan Van Gundy spoke up in his defense. On the play, Lee had to catch a lob pass from Turkoglu and make the shot with his momentum moving him under the basket.
"The shot was not an easy shot, okay," Van Gundy said. "It was certainly a good opportunity with six-tenths of a second to go. You're just hoping to get an opportunity, and we got one. But that was not an easy shot and he has not taken any heat from us."
