Hero:
Derek Fisher hit a 3-point shot that sent the game to overtime. Then the veteran Lakers guard sank the Magic with the key 3-point shot in the extra period. ‘Nuff said.
Zero:
Orlando center Dwight Howard had 21 points, 16 rebounds and nine blocked shots, but he was 0-for-2 from the foul line when the Magic had a chance to ice the game with 11.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Chalk talk:
At age 63, Phil Jackson hears criticism he is a figurehead on the L.A. bench and leaves the coaching to Kobe Bryant. “Kobe is doing a lot of the work,” Jackson joked before Game 4. “I’m just here kind of sitting on my chair.”
Kobe time:
At 6:45 p.m., more than two hours before the opening tip, the arena was nearly empty. But there was Bryant on the court, practicing his jumper with an intensity golfer Tigers Woods would admire. At one point, Bryant made 23 consecutive shots.
Scene:
The economy is limping back to health. So is Billy Hunter, the executive director of the players’ union. After knee replacement surgery, he walks with a cane. But Hunter also wears a smile, because he expects league revenues to be up 2 percent during a difficult year.
