Make way for Fisher!

Fisher played a big part in the Lakers’ win in Game 3

Derek Fisher had been waiting for this moment since two years. And when the moment came, he wasted little time to rise to the occasion to help the Los Angeles Lakers humble the Boston Celtics in their own backyard, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Fisher and the rest of the Lakers pack had to fight hard for the 2-1 lead, with the game ending 91-84.

The 35-year-old veteran may not have the same agility, or ball movement, but he proved that he is still a very, very valuable contributor for the team. Normally, the final minutes in a Laker game belong to one man – Kobe Bryant and reducing him to just another guy watching others make plays takes something. Fisher did just that.

Seeing Bryant miss crucial shots in the final 12 minutes, Fisher elevated his game, netting the Lakers’ 8 out of 10 points between the 9th and the 4th minute. The surge included two key jumpers with Kobe setting the pick, and a three point play with a just about a minute and a half left meant he had netted 11 of his 16 points in the final quarter.

Fisher would remember the 39-point defeat at the same venue in Game 6 of the 2008 Finals, that ended in heartbreak for LA with Boston clinching the title. How would he have felt walking past the sea of green and white, all gleaming in celebration, at his and the other Lakers’ expense. Wednesday’s game gave Fisher the opportunity to redeem himself.

Should the Lakers go on to win the Championship, people will give Bryant the majority of the praise, as they should. Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will also get attention. But, should Kobe go on to win what will be his fifth championship, he must know that Fisher has had a major role in it.