Fisher catches Lakers just in time

In the thrall of the ever-weird yet endlessly fascinating phenomenon known as the death instinct, the inclination to gravitate toward the scene of death, the fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles began to stand when their Lakers, once up 13 midway through the fourth quarter, saw their lead chopped to three points with 2:20 left in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

The partisans in the arena which hosted the 2000 Democratic Convention were beginning to sense that another momentous loss would take place in this facility. After all, the Republican Convention was held--yeah, you guessed it--in Philadelphia's First Union Center, home of the 76ers.

With the death instinct--and flat-out panic--at severe levels, the Lakers' third most valuable player, lurking in the shadows of Shaq and Kobe, stepped forward to restore order to the (formerly) Magic Kingdom.

Derek Fisher's dagger-like jumpers had been the key cog in the roaring Laker engine. Sure, Shaq and Kobe went wild against weaker and less courageous defenses in previous rounds, but Fisher's consistency with his perimeter shot prevented defenses from switching and doubling to keep Shaq and Kobe in check.

In Wednesday's Game 1, however, Fisher rolled out a bagel, and also played woefully inadequate defense against Allen Iverson. After that kind of a setback, one had to wonder if Fisher would ever make a significant impact in this series, a contribution the Lakers would desperately need at some point.

Friday night, Fisher answered that question and provided that big lift immediately.

Fisher answered the challenge of guarding Iverson--again--two days after getting smoked. Fisher did his best Tyronn Lue impersonation and played a significant part in limiting Iverson to a 10-for-29 shooting performance. Then, with the death instinct lifting the mesmerized Laker fans out of their seats in the final, decisive minutes, Fisher got a pass from Shaq behind the three-point arc in the center of the court.

Swish! Away went the Lakers' fears of a crippling two-game deficit.

As a point of comparison with last year's finals against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers played poorly in their first game on the road. Indiana possessed a maximum of rhythm and confidence in their offensive sets and in their perimeter shots, while the Lakers looked like a team that was unfamiliar with an Eastern Conference building.

Sunday in Game 3, it will be up to Fisher--along with Brian Shaw, who also hit some ice-veins threes in Game 2--to find an immediate comfort zone in the largely foreign environment of the First Union Center. If Fisher singes the cords in a Game 3 that carries particularly high stakes (whoever wins this game probably leaves Philly with a 3-2 lead, an imperative for winning the series, especially the Sixers), the Lakers should once again be kings of the basketball world.