Fisher, Lakers Make It Three

By Michael Lee

The Washington Post

June 12, 2009

ORLANDO, June 11 -- Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant got tangled up while fighting for a rebound late in the third period on Thursday night. Howard picked up a cheap foul as he wrapped his arms around Bryant, trying to get a steal. Then Bryant threw an elbow to get some separation, which upset Howard. As Bryant marched down the floor to shoot his free throws, Howard was right behind him, in his ear, shouting.

Howard's smile was replaced by an angry glare, partly because of this encounter with Bryant, but mostly because the Magic's seemingly comfortable first-half lead had vanished, with the game, and possibly the season unraveling. Bryant shook his head and shooed away Howard.

But Howard and his teammates weren't going to back down, or go away that easily. Taking advantage of Howard's faulty free throw shooting, the Los Angeles Lakers got clutch shooting from Derek Fisher and won 99-91 in overtime to take a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series. Fisher hit a three-pointer to force overtime, and another to give his team a 94-91 lead in the extra frame. After cocking back and draining his last three-pointer, Fisher backed up, left hand held high, as a smile came over his face. Pau Gasol then put the game away when he grabbed a loose ball and dunked as the Lakers stole Game 4 of this series at Amway Arena. Game 5 is Sunday.

The Magic led 87-84 with 11 seconds left but Howard missed both free throws in a scene reminiscent of Game 1 of the 1995 Finals -- when Nick Anderson missed four free throws that would've sealed the win before Houston's Kenny Smith forced overtime with a three-pointer.

Fisher, the 34-year-old veteran point guard then sprinted up the floor and rushed a game-tying three-pointer with 4.6 seconds remaining, sending the game into overtime. Fisher finished with 12 points for the Lakers, who are now one victory away from claiming the 15th title in franchise history. Phil Jackson is also one win from surpassing Red Auerbach for the most championships by a coach in NBA history. And after scoring a game-high 32 points, Bryant is one win from winning his fourth championship, and first without Shaquille O'Neal.

Howard had 16 points, 21 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, but he missed 8 of 14 from the foul line.

The Lakers swiftly erased a 12-point deficit to start the second half, but the person to ignite the run was Trevor Ariza, not Kobe Bryant. Ariza went scoreless in the first half, with his only significant contribution serving as a negative for the Lakers. Sitting on the floor, Ariza picked up a technical foul for bouncing the ball off the backboard in frustration.

But Ariza came back to score 11 points as the Lakers opened the third period on an 18-5 run. Ariza had a steal and a dunk, made a running hook in the lane and also two three-pointers. His second three-pointer brought the Lakers within one, and Andrew Bynum put the Lakers ahead, 55-54, with two free throws. The Lakers outscored the Magic 30-14 in the period, taking a 67-63 lead into the fourth quarter.

After practice on Wednesday, Jackson took his players to see the new movie starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta, 'The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3,' a thriller about the hijacking of the New York subway system. In the first half, it looked as if the Magic was about to hijack this series.

Gasol made a jump hook to bring the Lakers within 28-24 in the second period, but the Magic wouldn't let them get any closer in the first half. Rashard Lewis helped extend the Magic lead to 10 when he made a three-pointer, his first field goal of the game. Bynum brought the Lakers with 38-31 with a baseline jump hook, but the Magic scored the next five points.

J.J. Redick whipped a pass to Marcin Gortat for a dunk, then Lewis stole the ball from Ariza and threw it ahead to Redick. Redick sprinted up the floor, slipped at the basket and passed it back to Lewis, but the ball bounced off Lewis and landed in the lap of Hedo Turkoglu, who made a layup to give Orlando an 11-point lead. Shortly thereafter, Jackson got out of his seat on the Lakers sideline, paced the sideline like a cattle rancher and shouted some unflattering words toward the officials and picked up a technical foul. Redick then made the technical foul shot to extend the lead to 43-31.

Gasol made a free throw, followed by Bryant's only field goal of the second period, bringing his team within eight, but Howard went to work on the next two possessions, hitting a hook shot with his right hand and then his left hand to push the lead back to 12 points.

Turkoglu led the Magic with 15 points in the first half, slicing down the lane for a left-handed layup, splitting through three Lakers defenders for another, and hitting a difficult, running baseline jumper over Lakers reserve center D.J. Mbenga.

The two biggest stars took turns putting their opponents in foul trouble in the first period. Bryant put two quick

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