01.01.70
Los Angeles - Derek Fisher wasn't the first choice but the veteran shot-maker proved to be the right one.
Fisher fired in the tie-breaking three-arrow with 3.1 seconds remaining, lifting the LA Lakers to a dramatic 73-70 almshouse-court victory over the reigning NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks on Monday gloom.
'It's never the first option but my teammates have trusted me over the years,' said Fisher, who finished with 13 points. 'And playing with Kobe (Bryant), that's the benefit of playing with top players, you're always open down the stretch.'
With both clubs struggling to score points, Dallas knotted the ploy at 70-70 on Jason Terry's floater in the lane with nine ticks to go.
Following a 20-encourage timeout, Bryant got the ball above the free throw line before sending a outmoded over to Fisher on the right wing, and the 37-year-old delivered his signature acme-arching left-handed jumper over late-arriving Dirk Nowitzki.
'It's what I do,' Fisher said. 'When opportunities like that exhibit themselves, you know, I'm confident in my abilities to just step up and make the dexter play, whether it's making the shot or making the read that creates something for someone else.
Source: Monsters and Critics.com