Any San Antonio Spurs fan who saw Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher bury the game-winning 3-pointer against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday probably had some painful flashbacks to the infamous shot that will forever be known as “.4” That shot still gives Spurs fans nightmares, and that may never change.
Fisher has hit a few clutch shots throughout his NBA career, but to him, he plays it off like it’s just part of the job.
“This is what I do,” said Fisher. “When opportunities like that present themselves, I’m confident in my abilities to step up and make the right play. Whether it’s making a shot or making or making a read to create something for someone else. [With] my experience and having played for this team for so many years and having been in so many big games, I feel I have a responsibility to the team to not be afraid to step up and make plays. And I’ve been fortunate in my career to come in on the positive side of some big plays.”
Fisher may not be putting up the stats that a starting NBA point guard should be. He’s getting up there in age and that’s to be expected, but you can’t change the heart of a winner. Fisher is always going to want to be that guy with the ball in his hands at the end of the game. He wants to be relied on to make that big play. Even if he’s shooting 0-13 in a game, with three-seconds left on the clock, he’ll tell you that the next one is going in, that’s just who he is.
It’s a truth that Spurs fans know all to well.