By Steve Ginsburg
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Lakers used the long-range shooting of Derek Fisher to defeat the Orlando Magic 99-91 in overtime on Thursday and move to the brink of their 15th NBA championship.
Fisher sent the game into overtime with a 25-foot three-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation and then nailed a key 27-foot, three-pointer with just over 30 seconds left in the extra session to give the Lakers a 94-91 lead.
Pau Gasol scored the remaining five points in overtime to seal the win.
The Lakers lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can wrap up their first title since 2002 with a victory on Sunday in Orlando.
"It's not just about talent, it's about character," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Fisher.
"And he's a person of high character, brings that to play, not only in just his gamesmanship but also his intestinal fortitude."
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points but the 11-times All Star was not at his best, hitting only 11 of 31 shots. Gasol and Trevor Ariza each added 16 for the Lakers.
The Lakers got out of jail when Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard missed two free throws with 11.1 seconds left in regulation with the Magic leading 87-84.
Had he made just one of the free throws, the Magic would likely have leveled the series at 2-2.
But after a time out, the Lakers worked the ball upcourt and found Fisher open on the wing, and the veteran guard calmly sank the game-tying, three-pointer.
Hedo Turkoglu paced the Magic with 25 points, while Howard added 16 points and 21 rebounds. Orlando committed 17 turnovers and hit only 22 of 37 attempts from the free-throw line.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Source: Reuters
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