The story is a special one.

One year ago today, Derek Fisher's still-recovering daughter Tatum underwent surgery in a New York hospital to battle her rare childhood eye cancer.

One year ago tonight, Fisher — after flying more than halfway across the country — stepped onto the floor late in the third quarter of a Jazz playoff game against Golden State and hit the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime.

But when 33-year-old Fisher takes the floor this evening at EnergySolutions Arena for Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference semifinal series between the Jazz and his Los Angeles Lakers, he'll do so as no mere sidebar.

The ex-Jazz combo guard, now back with his old club, has made himself an integral part of the best-of-seven series, and after its first two games — both Laker victories — he is a primary part of the lead.

Fisher had six steals in last Sunday's Game 1, and frustrated Jazz point guard Deron Williams to no end.

He picked up where he left off in Wednesday night's Game 2, scoring 22 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and nabbing three assists. Moreover, he continued to fluster Williams, helping hold the Jazz guard to just three first-half points.

"Fish was great," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said afterward.

"(He) is such a smart player," Lakers star and newly crowned NBA MVP Kobe Bryant added. "He understands positioning, he understands angles, and we're just trying to make life as tough as possible for Deron (Williams)."

That Fisher and Williams went at it time and again throughout last season — as teammates at the time — has paid huge dividends in the two semifinal games to date.

Equally valuable is that Fisher — so accustomed to running L.A.'s triangle offense — gained an intimate working knowledge of the Jazz system during his one year in Utah.

Fisher himself makes no apologies for either reality.

"We knocked each other around so many times in practice last year that me bumping up and stiffing (Williams), or vice versa, is gonna happen quite a bit over the course of this series — because he loves to compete, and I love to compete," he said.

"He (Williams) knows that I know where he's going, and where they're going," Fisher added. "So there will be some times where I'll be able to beat him to a spot or try to play a particular passing lane. But that's what the playoffs are about. He'll adjust, and I'll adjust. Both teams will adjust."

Williams, meanwhile, tries to downplay the impact of Fisher's familiarity with the Jazz.