The Lakers-Spurs game was over pretty quick on Sunday. Once you see Lisa Salters interviewing Bob in the front row about his encounter with Ron Artest, you knew that game was over. It also allowed Jeff Van Gundy to grace us with a few bonus sessions of his pointless rants.
As the commentators jumped from topic to topic, I began thinking about the 2004 conference semi-final series between LA and San Antonio. You know? The series that Derek Fisher hit his famous Game 5 winner with .4 seconds left in San Antonio.
As a Lakers fan, it was one of those historic moments that you will remember exactly where you were watching the game, exactly who you were with, and exactly how you celebrated. Feel free to leave your experience in the comment section below.
Me? Well, I was watching the series as I was on vacation in Guatemala. I lived there for a few years in college and when I had returned I told my parents that I would take them back down at some point. It turned out we also had some good family friends living in Guatemala at the time, so we figured it was a good time to go.
I saw the first three games before I left the country. The Spurs led the series 2-1, winning the first two games at home before heading back to Staples Center. Finding yourself in a two-game deficit leaves little room for hope. I actually remember flying out to LAX and seeing Staples Center from my window seat and thinking “This all might be over by the time I get back here.”
I really didn’t think I would see much of the remainder of the series, if any, because I was traveling to a third-world country for the next week and I had no idea how much access I would have to see score updates or even a television with American cable. Low and behold I was able to watch Game 4 in my hotel room at Hotel Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua Guatemala. Granted, it was in Spanish, but I got to see the game nonetheless.
For those that may not remember, some termed this game as Kobe Bryant’s “Colorado Game”. He had touched back down in LA about 2.5 hours before tip-off after a full day of court proceedings. He started the game 1-2 at the free-throw line. The entire Lakers’ fanbase, and the NBA as a whole, was curious as to how Bryant would play after flying out that morning, spending such an emotionally and mentally taxing day in a courtroom, then traveling back a time zone only to switch mental gears and be fully engaged in an NBA playoff game.
He had performed phenomenally in a similar situation in the first round against Houston – 31 points and 10 assists in a 21 point victory.
Bryant got going early with an early three-ball to put LA up by 4. Lakers lost the lead, but in the 2nd quarter Bryant had a drive and two-handed slam down the middle that let everyone know he was completely involved in the task at hand. And for all the skeptics, late in the 2nd quarter Bryant made one of his patent circus shots followed by the and-one on the foul. In the third, He drained a long fadeaway 2-ball as the shot clock expired to keep LA on San Antonio’s heels. He followed that up with another impossible finish on the foul. After a long day and 42 points by Bryant, the series was now tied 2-2.
Next: Game 5
The series headed back to San Antonio for the pivotal Game 5. By this time, the parents and I were in the country’s 3rd largest city, Quetzaltenango, staying at the home of our family friends. I ate the dinner that was prepared for us as fast as I could so I could run into the other room to watch the rest of the game. Luckily for me, our friends were Lakers supporters themselves and had absolutely not problem with me ditching the dinner conversation to see the Lake Show. I tuned in halfway though the 4th quarter and things were frighteningly close. A low scoring game usually plays right into the hands of the Spurs, so when I saw the score was still in the 60’s late into the 4th I instantly began to worry.
With 30 seconds left in the game and the Lakers down by 1, Fisher brought the ball up court. With 20 seconds left Bryant released from the wing to receive the ball. Karl Malone came up to set a pick, Bryant used it and drained a long jumper to put LA up by 1.
“YEEEEEEESSS!!!”
“Steve! What happened?”
“Lakers up by 1 with 11 seconds.”
After a few seconds got shaved off the clock, the Spurs inbounded the ball with 5.4 seconds left. Tim Duncan received the ball above the key, held on a few seconds then crossed the top of the key below the 3-point line and lobbed up an off balance shot as he fell to his left. Shaquille O’Neal actually played excellent defense and contested Duncan the whole way through. Ball in. Crowd goes crazy. Spurs up by 1 with .4 seconds left.
Next: The Fisher Fling
Moments later I hear someone running down the hallway towards me. I figured the Mr. of the house was on his way to see what happened. Nope. The Mrs. rounded the corners.
“What happened!?”
I explained the impossible shot that Duncan just hit, although they played it about 12 times in the next 2 minutes.
“Honey, what’s happening?” the Mr. asked.
“We’re down 1 with .4 seconds left. I think we’re gonna lose this one.”
Gary Payton was given the ball at the Lakers’ end of the court for the inbound pass. The whistle blows, the ref starts his count and the players began to scuffle. Just as the spurs probably were, I too was keyed in on Byrant to receive the inbound. After all, Bryant’s Hail Mary shots are usually just as accurate as other players’ wide open jumpers. Payton began to hold on to the ball and I began to think to myself “Time! Time! Get rid of it!”
All of sudden, Fisher breaks away, Payton inbounds, and then…
“YEEEEEEEEEES!!!”
All of a sudden, I heard lots of people running down the hallway. The next thing I vividly remember was Bruce Bowen’s look of complete confusion, like somebody just stole his candy. Robert Horry and Tim Duncan didn’t want to move from the spots in which they stood, thinking that if they stood there long enough it would somehow alter reality. Of course the refs reviewed it a number of times, and I have to admit, even on replay that was one really tough call.
But the basket counted. Game over. Lakers were up 3-2, then headed back to LA where they would close out the Spurs in 6 games, having won 4 straight.
I didn’t even get to see Game 6, but I heard the result shortly after the game ended. The next day we flew back into LAX and I saw the Staples Center as we were coming in on final approach.
We all know 2004 didn’t end all that well for the Lakers, but Fisher’s .4 game winner will go down as one of the greatest moments in Lakers history.
Again, where were you when Fisher hit his game winner with .4 seconds left? Were you at home? Were you at a sports bar? Were you in a foreign country? Better yet, were any of you actually in the SBC Center when it happened? Please post below. I would love to hear your story.