Fisher proves to be priceless in Lakers' run

By John Denton
Florida Today

LOS ANGELES — The unspoken yet prevailing thought pumping throughout the NBA this season usually went something like this: The Los Angeles Lakers are a two-man team and merely one sprained ankle away from being very mortal.

Derek Fisher has given the Lakers' attack a third dimension — making 15 of 20 3-pointers in a four-game sweep of the Spurs. Associated Press

He was the player defenses most often left alone when they tried to smother Shaquille O'Neal in the paint or snuff out Kobe Bryant's slippery drives to the basket.

Fisher, however, took major strides toward debunking the notion that the Lakers are O'Neal, Bryant and little more, regularly burning the San Antonio Spurs and playing a major role in the remarkably easy sweep of the Western Conference Finals.

He shot the basketball as he never had in the four games, sinking an unthinkable 15 of 20 3-pointers.

In Sunday's finale, he was 11-of-13 from the floor, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range for a game-high 28 points. And he continued to play a near flawless point guard in Phil Jackson's triangle offense, pushing his playoff run to 418 minutes with just six turnovers compared to 38 assists.

Impressive numbers, for sure. But it's a record of a different kind that particularly piques Fisher's interest: The Lakers are now 26-5 — including a NBA record-matching 11-0 in the playoffs — since his return from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot.

"This," he stressed, "is the best we've ever played together. We've had something to prove to ourselves in terms of what we're capable of doing. It only starts from here now."

The Lakers are threatening history now — no team has ever not lost a game in the playoffs — and are favorites to repeat as NBA champions primarily because of Fisher's added dimension to the offense and defense. That speaks volumes to his dramatic improvement considering that he was buried on the bench as the third point guard last year and had never before averaged more than 6.3 points in any season.

"All we ever hear during the season is double- and triple-team Shaq, slow down Kobe and make the other Lakers beat you," O'Neal said. "Well, I think my guys got tired of hearing that, especially Derek Fisher. He's playing fabulous right now."

That he had a significant impact at all is amazing considering that he missed the first 62 games of the season. He aggravated a stress fracture in his foot during a pick-up game last summer and then had surgery that was supposed to shelve him for six months. He needed his parents just to help him walk and bathe in the weeks after the surgery, and for months his basketball work consisted of little more than catch-and-shoot drills. Usually, he and O'Neal were the last Lakers to leave the practice floor — Shaq at one end practicing free throws, while Fisher tirelessly rained in 3-pointers on the other end.

The injury was the latest in a long string of disappointments for a player whom many felt the Lakers wasted a first-round pick upon in 1996.

He caught more grief from the fans and media when he failed to live up to the seven-year, $21 million contract he signed two years ago. Fittingly enough, it was the Spurs who drove his asking price up when they tried to sign him away as a free agent following the 1999 season. The move by the Lakers was seen, at the time, as gross overspending for a player who shot just 38.5 percent in his career during the regular season and 40.9 percent in the playoffs.

"I officially turned into an adult going through what I did," Fisher said. "It's a humbling experience when you realize that everything is not guaranteed. One day you're playing and the next it can be over. I had to find out who Derek Fisher was, not just Derek Fisher comma, L.A. Laker."

Los Angeles found out just who Fisher was when he returned March 13 against the Boston Celtics. Right away, he posted career highs in points (26) and steals (six) and energized a sluggish Lakers team that was a disappointing 41-21.

He had 21 points in the Lakers' first playoff game when Portland collapsed its defense on O'Neal. And in Sunday's finale, his 28 points bettered that of San Antonio stars Tim Duncan (15) and David Robinson (12) combined.

"He has organized our offense for us and defensively he is all the way back," Jackson said.

Those are strong words from a coach who didn't hide his displeasure with Fisher last season. He has traditionally favored bigger guards, but the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Fisher won him over with his grit and hustle.

"Derek asked me if when he came back if he could get into the starting lineup because he thought I liked bigger guards," Jackson joked. "But I told him it's the size of your heart that matters most to me."

• • •

	PLAYOFF GLANCE CONFERENCE FINALS Best-of-seven, Hawai'i times EASTERN CONFERENCE
•	Philadelphia vs. Milwaukee
•	Monday Philadelphia 89, Milwaukee 83, series tied 2-2
•	Today Milwaukee at Philadelphia, 3 p.m.
•	Friday Philadelphia at Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
•	Sunday Milwaukee at Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., if necessary
	FINALS Best-of-seven, Hawai'i times
•	June 6 Milwaukee-Philadelphia winner at Los Angeles Lakers, 3 p.m.
•	June 8 Milwaukee-Philadelphia winner at Los Angeles Lakers, 3 p.m.
•	June 10 Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee-Philadelphia winner, 1:30 p.m.
•	June 13 Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee-Philadelphia winner, 3 p.m.
•	June 15 Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee-Philadelphia winner, 3 p.m., if necessary
•	June 18 Milwaukee-Philadelphia winner at Los Angeles Lakers, 3 p.m., if necessary
•	June 20 Milwaukee-Philadelphia winner at Los Angeles Lakers, 3 p.m., if necessary