Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals was filled with drama and enough twists and turns to make a road course driver happy. However, when the smoke cleared, an old veteran had the right touch to bury the Orlando Magic. Derek Fisher came up big, not once, but twice, as Los Angeles defeated Orlando 99-91 in overtime.
Orlando Sets the Tone
In the early portion of Game 4, Dwight Howard was a machine! Howard had 11 rebounds and three blocks in the first quarter, and the Lakers could get nothing in the paint. Orlando sharp shooter, Hedo Turkoglu added 15 points in the first session while Kobe Bryant scored 13 points to pace the Lakers. Los Angeles found themselves in foul trouble early on, especially the big men. Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom had to be replaced by seldom used bench players in order to buffer the blow of their early fouls. Once again, the first quarter was evenly matched as Orlando took a 24-20 lead into the second quarter.
If you're a fan of the Orlando Magic, the second quarter of Game 4 was just what you ordered. The Magic built a 37-27 lead with seven minutes remaining in the half. Late in the quarter, Los Angeles Head Coach Phil Jackson was hit with a technical foul, and Orlando held a 42-31 lead with 4:24 remaining. While the Lakers were coming unraveled, Orlando was getting a quick spark from guard, J.J. Redick. The former Duke stand-out had three points and three assists in the second quarter giving the Magic some quick production. Orlando held a 49-37 lead at intermission. Hedo Turkoglu led Orlando with 15 points, but the story was...Dwight Howard. The Orlando big man had six points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. The Los Angeles Lakers as a team combined for 14 rebounds, yet Howard had 14 on his own. Kobe Bryant had 16 first half points for Los Angeles as both teams headed for the locker room.
Lakers Strong in Third Quarter
Los Angeles came out with a purpose as Game 4 entered the second half. Orlando was quiet most of the period, and the Lakers made a run. Orlando called a timeout with 7:58 remaining in the quarter after the Lakers cut the halftime lead...in half. Los Angeles was led by Trevor Ariza who painted a picture perfect quarter with 13 points of his own. Late in the period Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant were involved in a little "jawing", but cooler heads prevailed. Both teams were fired up and the fans at Amway Arena knew the game would come down to the wire. Thanks to Trevor Ariza and an eight point quarter by Kobe Bryant, the Lakers erased the double figure halftime deficit and took a 67-63 lead heading to the fourth.
Derek Fisher/Lakers Win
The fourth quarter was everything fans wanted and more. The game went back and forth like a pinball as the quarter ticked away. Orlando held an 87-84 lead with 10 seconds left, and the Lakers needed a basket. Los Angeles took the ball the entire length of the floor, and Laker guard Derek Fisher calmly drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 87 with 4.6 seconds remaining. The Magic tried to respond, but a Mickael Pietrus jumper was off the mark…and Game 4 ventured into overtime.
Dwight Howard split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 91 until "that man" showed up yet again. Kobe who? When the game was on the line, for the second time Derek Fisher drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Lakers a 94-91 lead. Kobe Bryant found an open Fisher, but Bryant hit Orlando guard Jameer Nelson with an elbow to the chin while the pass was being delivered. Many argued a fouled "should" have been called, but the no call allowed Bryant to find Fisher who came up huge! Following a missed 3-pointer by Hedo Turkoglu, and some "rough housing" between Mickael Pietrus and Pau Gasol (which resulted in a flagrant foul on Pietrus and a technical foul on Gasol), Game 4 was in the books. Los Angeles outscored Orlando 12-4 in overtime, and Derek Fisher was the hero as the Lakers took Game 4, 99-91.
Key Statistics/Notes
Score:
Los Angeles 99 (OT)
Orlando 91
Field Goal Percentage:
Magic 41.9%
Lakers 41.8%
Free Throw Percentage:
Lakers 75%
Magic 59.5%
Points in the Paint
Lakers 40
Magic 38
Kobe Bryant
32 Points
7 Rebounds
8 Assists
Pau Gasol
16 Points
10 Rebounds
Trevor Ariza
16 Points
9 Rebounds
Derek Fisher
12 Points
2-for-7 3PM-A
Hedo Turkoglu
25 Points
Dwight Howard
16 Points
21 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus
15 Points
Derek Fisher missed his first five 3-pointers of the contest before hitting the game tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and the game winning 3-pointer in the overtime session. Orlando is now 0-2 in the 2009 NBA Finals when leading after the first quarter. With the victory, Los Angeles ended a 7-game road losing streak in the NBA Finals.
Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals is Sunday June 14. All the action begins at 8:00 ET on ABC live from Amway Arena in Orlando.
