Fish tale

The Utah Jazz came out of nowhere to pull out Game 2 on the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night but it was partially aided by a guy who wasn't even in the state when the opening tip took place.

I've been a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers for more than 20 years and in those two decades Derek Fisher and in eight seasons in L.A. became one of my three favourite Lakers of all time. Likely he isn't on a lot of Laker fans all-time lists but Fish was wildly underrated during his time in the City of Angels.

But Fisher — who is best known for his 0.4 shot — had another moment in the spotlight Wednesday when he flew back to Salt Lake City after being by the bedside of his 10-month old daughter who is fighting retinoblastoma, a rare cancer.

And in that paragraph are two reasons why Fisher's in my top three list alongside Magic Johnson and James Worthy. He was more clutch than anyone remembers (the 0.4 shot just got all the attention even though he was a legit second option to Kobe late in games) and he was always a class act and the consummate professional.

Fish hit a big three in OT for Utah and caused a late turnover on Baron Davis, both aspects of his game that have been generally overlooked. Because Fisher played in L.A. for most of his career under the shadow of Kobe and because now his later years are as a bench player, he's never truly been recognized as a key contributor. Truly he's never been a guy who you would ask to carry your team, but is he the guy you want to be a part of the bigger picture? Absolutely yes.

After arriving via charter flight late in the third quarter, Fisher finished with five points and three assists in just 10 minutes of playing time, fittingly a rather pedestrian line for a guy who for years has always played just outside the spotlight.