Game 3 of the 2010 NBA Finals resulted in a 91-84 victory for the Lakers, along with a 2-1 series lead. Glancing at the score, one would have guessed that Kobe took over the game late and assured the Lakers a victory. Well, they would be wrong. Derek Fisher stepped up huge and made big shots down the stretch; the high screen and roll between Kobe and Fish was nearly unstoppable and the Celtics had no answer. Derek proved once again that he is clutch and that you should never leave him open. With Tuesday night’s victory, Derek Fisher and his partner Kobe Bryant became the winningest backcourt duo in NBA history.
The media was awed by Derek’s performance and also shocked by the effort shown by the Celtics and especially their guard, Ray Allen. The upcoming links include all the reactions to Game 3 from both the Lakers’ and Celtics’ perceptive.
Derek Fisher may not ever be a hall-of-famer of even an All-Star, but his talent and leadership qualities can never be questioned; Game 3 was yet another example of how important Derek is to the Lakers. [OC Register]
Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher both entered the draft in the same year, and developed a strong bond during their rookie seasons. Thirteen years later, these two men tuned into the greatest and most winningest backcourt duo in NBA history. [OC Register]
Almost every person, regardless of the color of their jersey, expected the ball to be in Kobe’s hands down the final stretch– -every person except for Derek Fisher. He poured in 11 points in the fourth quarter and carried the Lakers to victory. Fisher proved to the world, that Kobe is not the only “clutch” player on the Lakers’ squad. [Forum Blue and Gold]
The Lakers always had that one player who came up big when the team needed it the most. During the three-peat of the early 2000s, Robert “Big Shot” Horry constantly made huge threes and took over several games. On this current roster, Derek Fisher is that “Robert Horry” type player, who can be counted on when needed. [Dime Magazine]
Derek Fisher not only won the game for the Lakers on the offensive end, he did a great job guarding the Celtics’ Ray Allen, who went 0-13 from the field. Fisher’s floater was nearly unstoppable while his defensive was pretty much unsolvable; the Lakers Nation has to give Kudos to Derek Fisher for the Game 3 victory. [LA Times]
Yes, Derek Fisher is getting old and may be losing his step when it comes to basketball, but one thing age can’t take away is toughness and the ability to step up when the game is on the line. Despite the negative comments about his age, Fisher shinned under the bright lights and once again proved all the “haters” wrong. [NBA.com]
The Lakers were very pleased with the outcome of Game 3, but the same cannot be said about the team in Boston.
Ray Allen set NBA Finals history with his 8 threes in Game 2, but just 48 hours later he went 0-13 from the field. This disaster from the field could have been the result of a short rest between games or the defensive pressure of Derek Fisher. [NBA.com]
The Celtics cannot find a way to get KG or Pierce going, and because of this they are finding it very hard to score. On a championship team every player must step up, the Laker players got the memo, but not the Celtics’. [Celtics Blog]