Derek Fisher's Fourth-Quarter Heroics Save Lakers Yet Again

Filed under: Celtics, Lakers, NBA Playoffs, NBA Finals

BOSTON -- It's becoming an annual rite of spring. Aging Derek Fisher gets doubted and then steps up for an hourglass-defying outing.



But this veteran's day was a bit different for Fisher. After the point guard had made yet another Errol Flynn-like postseason rescue and helped his Lakers to a 91-84 win over Boston on Tuesday night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, tears welled up in his eyes. Fisher then had trouble keeping his composure in a postgame television interview.



"He was very emotional,'' said Lakers forward Luke Walton. "It was emotional to see him emotional.''



Fisher last year stepped up with some fine play after a disastrous early run in the playoffs to help the Lakers beat Orlando for the NBA title. And in these Finals, at 35, he was hearing the same rumblings about how time had passed him by. In the first two games, he averaged 7.5 points on 5-of-18 shooting, including watching opposing point guard Rajon Rondo put up a triple-double in the Celtics' 103-94 win in Game 2.



But then came Tuesday at TD Garden. Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant was struggling and the Celtics were launching a dramatic comeback from a 17-point deficit that was beginning to conjure up memories of their recovery from 24 points down in Game 4 of the 2008 Finals, which they won over the Lakers.



Fisher, though, was just getting started. He scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to a 2-1 Finals lead.

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/06/09/derek-fishers-fourth-quarter-heroics-save-lakers-yet-again/