Derek Fisher has had some classic moments in Laker history and today is his birthday. Lets take the time to look at some of the best memories of Fish in his 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers:
5. Dunk On Iverson
In Game 2 of the 2001 NBA Finals, the Lakers were looking to tie the series up at 1-1 after the Philadelphia 76ers stole Game 1 at Staples Center. Fortunately for the Lakers, they came out inspired and played well enough to win Game 2. During Game 2, Derek Fisher had one of the standout plays of the night when he stole the ball and got a breakaway dunk on Sixers star Allen Iverson.
4. Scola Elbow
The Lakers and Houston Rockets got into a pretty physical battle during Game 2 of the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals. After a few altercations between players from the opposing teams, Derek Fisher took matters into his own hands to send a message to the Rockets that the Lakers weren’t going to tolerate any nonsense. Check it out.
3. 4th Quarter in Boston
After losing home court advantage in the 2010 NBA Finals, the Lakers went into Boston knowing that if they did not win Game 3, their chances of repeating as champions were slim. Game 3 was a close contest all the way into the last minutes of the 4th quarter. In that final quarter Derek Fisher brought his A-game, scoring 11 of his 16 points. His excellent play in the 4th would prove to be the difference between a win and a loss, and maybe even a championship, as that was the only road game the Lakers won in that series en route to their title.
2. Clutch Shooting in Orlando
In Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals, Derek Fisher put on one of his best clutch performances with his two crucial three-point field goals in the final minute of the 4th quarter and in overtime. Fisher had been 0-5 from beyond the arc prior to those big shots, showing that regardless of how bad he may be throughout the course of a game, he’ll always show up when needed most. That win gave the Lakers a 3-1 lead, and locked up the 2009 NBA championship.
1. 0.4
The Lakers and the Spurs were knotted up 2-2 going into Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals in 2004. In the final moments of the matchup the Spurs seemingly had the game won when Tim Duncan buried an 18-foot leaning jump shot with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock. With the Lakers having one final chance to win the game they looked to find their star Kobe Bryant for a quick shot. On that final possession Bryant had been heavily pressured by Devin Brown and Robert Horry, forcing the in-bounder (Gary Payton) to pass the ball to Derek Fisher. Fisher managed to make one of the most difficult baskets in the history of basketball,given the time remaining and the angle in which he shot the ball. That victory would be key for the Lakers as they would defeat the Spurs in six games and later make it to the NBA Finals.
