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.
