Fisher Adds to His Point-Four Legend With Three-Pointers

MINNEAPOLIS — Point-four seconds has become point-four months, moving toward point-four season, Derek Fisher still soaring atop the magic carpet shot.

Remember how he ran off the court in San Antonio immediately after sinking the flying jumper that beat the Spurs?

Well, he’s still running, hurdling assumptions, outracing expectations, sprinting into the West finals opener here Friday, from the bench into a Gary Payton rap.

“Shoot that thang, D!” cried Payton as he left the Laker locker room. “Shoot that thang!”

Shoot it he did, gunning down the Minnesota Timberwolves by a 97-88 margin that was not the most important score.

That would be 55-43, the numbers by which the Lakers outplayed the Spurs during Fisher’s 25 minutes on the court.

That means they were beaten without him, which only makes sense to anyone who has been watching.

Or, more appropriately, listening.

“It seems to be Derek Fisher’s playoffs this year,” said Rick Fox, who has heard it all.

In the now-famous Game 5 against the Spurs, when Fisher took the pass from Payton with 0.4 seconds remaining and heaved in a jump shot, he placed a giant hand over thousands of stunned San Antonio mouths.

In the ensuing Game 6, he awakened the Staples Center crowd with his first-quarter entry, bringing them to their feet with cheers that carried the Lakers to the clinching.

On Friday night, he was back to being the silencer.

Beginning of the second quarter, Timberwolves leading by a point, the Target Center ringing like a red-light special, and what happened?

Fisher drew a charge on Wally Szczerbiak, and the place groaned. Fisher stole a dribble from Latrell Sprewell, and it was as if an electrician in the hall pushed “mute.”

“Doing the little things,” said Fisher with his only shrug of the evening.

End of the second quarter, Timberwolves coming back, closing the gap to two, time for a big thing.

With the crowd on its feet, Fisher hit a three-pointer that dropped them in their tracks.

He finished the first half with three points, three assists, no turnovers, and he was just getting started.

“I’ve seen it before, a guy hits a big shot like Derek did against San Antonio and it propels you to a 20- or 30-game streak,” said Fox. “A lot of people looked at that like it was a lucky shot, but I tell you what. He makes those shots this time of year.”

After the second half, exhausted, bewildered Minnesota now agrees.

Third quarter, score tied at 67-all, and you know what happened by now.

Fisher hit a three-pointer. Fisher hit another three-pointer. Kareem Rush caught the bug and hit a third three-pointer for a nine-point lead that was like a body blow.

“A good punch like that, it really took the wind out of them,” said Payton.

But Fisher wasn’t finished, he didn’t just shut everyone up, he pushed their frozen forms out of the door with a final three-pointer from the baseline with 58 seconds remaining and the Lakers leading by four.

Game over, Fisher with 14 points, six assists, no turnovers and one vital question.

What happened to the headband, dude?

“I wanted to give my barber some love,” he said, answering the query that has haunted his fans since he made that infamous shot without the infamous headband -- and hasn’t worn it since. “I wanted all the people to see my very nice haircut.”

It wasn’t superstition? It wasn’t fate? It was about the ... haircut?

“I just decided to do something different,” he said. “I know, that was the only way lots of people knew me on the court, that little guy running around with the headband.”

He paused, and smiled.

“But after that shot, maybe they’ll know me for something else.”

Indeed they will.

The greaseboard in the Laker locker room after Friday’s game read, “7 to Heaven,” and that is where Laker fans will ultimately give him credit for taking them.

Fisher can opt out of his contract this summer and become a free agent, but maybe, just maybe, these last couple of weeks are keeping him here.

Maybe he’s realizing his value even on a team where he is no longer the starter. Maybe he’s understanding his place in Laker history. Maybe this is all too good to end just yet.

“I wasn’t sure,” said Fisher of his toughest season yet. “I only knew that I had to continue to stay with it and continue to persevere.”

And he knew good things would occur, right?

Well, OK, maybe not exactly....

“I never envisioned the things that have happened to me so far this postseason,” admitted Fisher.

But they have happened, and they all make sense, considering this is the way these Lakers won it the previous three times.

“It’s going to take role players, it always has,” he said, conjuring up the memory of Fox and Robert Horry and Tyronn Lue and, yes, even Glen Rice. “Even now, with four superstars, that’s the only way to be successful.”

Four superstars and their point-four soul.

Bill Plaschke can be reached at [email protected]. To read previous columns by Plaschke, go to latimes.com/plaschke.