From Deseret News archives:
Fisher's experience pays off
Derek Fisher, the 11-year veteran who played the last two years for the Warriors and was traded to the Jazz last summer, scored 18 second-half points, six more than any man on the floor, and totaled 20 points for the night that the Utah Jazz closed out his old team in Game 5 of the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals 100-87 Tuesday night.
Golden State now is on vacation for the summer, fishing or whatever, and the Jazz are awaiting the winner of the San Antonio-Phoenix series.
Fisher, who won three championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers but didn't make the playoffs the two years he was with Golden State, has been a huge steadying influence on the Jazz against the quicker Warriors.
And Fisher had 21 points with five assists Sunday night to help the Jazz overcome Golden State with a 40-point fourth quarter in a 115-101 win to give them a 3-1 lead in a series against the Warriors.
Fisher has often talked about how overjoyed he was to be back in the playoffs this season.
"This is the time of year that Fish has been waiting on," said Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, who had 21 points and 14 rebounds.
"He talked about this way back in training camp, way back in October, and I'm going to tell you that the guy makes big shots.
"He's got a lot of pride, and he brings it every night," said Boozer.
The way Fisher stepped onto the court to help the Jazz win Game 2 with five points in overtime after arriving at the game in the third quarter following flying in from New York following his baby daughter's surgery that morning for cancer in the eye was an international feel-good story, especially since young Tatum is said to be doing well.
And Fisher was a focal point at the end of Game 4 in Oakland, a time when the Warriors could have tied the series at 2-2 with a win. Fisher was hit in the ear behind the play by the elbow or shoulder of his friend, Warrior Baron Davis, in an action that never had to happen. Davis was given a Flagrant 2 foul earlier Tuesday after the NBA reviewed the play — no foul was originally called. Fisher had said he didn't want Davis to be suspended for Tuesday, and he wasn't, so the two were able to go head-to-head again.
Davis and Fisher hugged and talked following Tuesday's big Jazz victory that gets them as far as they've been in the playoffs since 1998.
Fisher also had a couple of rebounds down the stretch Tuesday and ran the point in parts of the fourth quarter as Williams struggled with just two points on 1-for-11 shooting and seven assists for the game. Fisher had four assists and four fouls as he often guarded Davis, the Warriors' leading scorer who had 21 but shot 5-for-16 and made most of his progress at the foul line.
E-mail: lham@desnews.com
