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06-13-2009, 01:46 AM
Stan Van Gundy: Jameer Nelson Blew Assignment on Derek Fisher
Posted Jun 12, 2009 4:35PM By TIM POVTAK (RSS FEED)
Filed Under: Lakers, Magic, Playoffs
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Magic coach Stan Van Gundy will stick with struggling Jameer Nelson as his backup point guard, despite laying the blame on him for allowing Derek Fisher to hit the 3-point basket at the end of regulation that sent Game 4 of the NBA Finals into overtime.
The Lakers won, 99-91, essentially ending Orlando's hopes of winning this series.
"Jameer had one responsibility on that play, and that was to not give Derek Fisher a 3-point shot,'' Van Gundy said Friday afternoon during a conference call with reporters. "I'm sure Jameer wishes he had that one back, or that he had played it differently.''
Fisher's basket came with 4.6 seconds remaining in regulation. It followed two missed free throws by Dwight Howard that could have iced the game with the Magic already leading 87-84. After a Lakers timeout, Fisher got free at midcourt, took a pass from Trevor Ariza and raced to the 3-point line where he hit the key shot. Nelson was one step behind."I told them (Lakers) that tomorrow we may be having our last practice of the season. And that got them pretty excited.''
-- Phil Jackson
"I question if I made it clear enough, or maybe I should have told him to play it differently,'' Van Gundy said. "He [Fisher] got a lot of air space to shoot the ball.''
Nelson has struggled in this series since being activated following a four-month layoff when he was recovering from shoulder surgery. He returned as a backup and replaced veteran point guard Anthony Johnson in the Magic's rotation. With starter Rafer Alston on the bench Thursday, Nelson played the entire fourth quarter and the overtime period. He managed just two points, three assists and a turnover in 26 minutes.
"We'll stick with the rotation we've had,'' Van Gundy said.
The Magic effectively denied Kobe Bryant a chance to take the shot, but it left them vulnerable elsewhere. Van Gundy was asked Friday if he had considered fouling intentionally when the Lakers inbounded the ball to make sure they didn't get a chance at a 3-pointer.
"There was too much time left,'' he said. "You always have regrets, but faced with the same situation again, I still wouldn't be telling them to foul.''
Although Van Gundy talked at length about his team's resiliency and its ability to bounce back from a defeat, Lakers coach Phil Jackson in a separate conference call reminded his team that he expects only one team to be flying back to Los Angeles next week.
Game 5 is Sunday in Orlando. A potential Game 6 is scheduled for Los Angeles. The team met briefly Friday. Both are expected to practice Saturday at Amway Arena.
"I told them [Lakers] that tomorrow we may be having our last practice of the season,'' Jackson said. "And that got them pretty excited.''
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/stan-van-gundy-jameer-nelson-blew-assignment-on-derek-fisher/#cont
Posted Jun 12, 2009 4:35PM By TIM POVTAK (RSS FEED)
Filed Under: Lakers, Magic, Playoffs
Text Size A A A
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy will stick with struggling Jameer Nelson as his backup point guard, despite laying the blame on him for allowing Derek Fisher to hit the 3-point basket at the end of regulation that sent Game 4 of the NBA Finals into overtime.
The Lakers won, 99-91, essentially ending Orlando's hopes of winning this series.
"Jameer had one responsibility on that play, and that was to not give Derek Fisher a 3-point shot,'' Van Gundy said Friday afternoon during a conference call with reporters. "I'm sure Jameer wishes he had that one back, or that he had played it differently.''
Fisher's basket came with 4.6 seconds remaining in regulation. It followed two missed free throws by Dwight Howard that could have iced the game with the Magic already leading 87-84. After a Lakers timeout, Fisher got free at midcourt, took a pass from Trevor Ariza and raced to the 3-point line where he hit the key shot. Nelson was one step behind."I told them (Lakers) that tomorrow we may be having our last practice of the season. And that got them pretty excited.''
-- Phil Jackson
"I question if I made it clear enough, or maybe I should have told him to play it differently,'' Van Gundy said. "He [Fisher] got a lot of air space to shoot the ball.''
Nelson has struggled in this series since being activated following a four-month layoff when he was recovering from shoulder surgery. He returned as a backup and replaced veteran point guard Anthony Johnson in the Magic's rotation. With starter Rafer Alston on the bench Thursday, Nelson played the entire fourth quarter and the overtime period. He managed just two points, three assists and a turnover in 26 minutes.
"We'll stick with the rotation we've had,'' Van Gundy said.
The Magic effectively denied Kobe Bryant a chance to take the shot, but it left them vulnerable elsewhere. Van Gundy was asked Friday if he had considered fouling intentionally when the Lakers inbounded the ball to make sure they didn't get a chance at a 3-pointer.
"There was too much time left,'' he said. "You always have regrets, but faced with the same situation again, I still wouldn't be telling them to foul.''
Although Van Gundy talked at length about his team's resiliency and its ability to bounce back from a defeat, Lakers coach Phil Jackson in a separate conference call reminded his team that he expects only one team to be flying back to Los Angeles next week.
Game 5 is Sunday in Orlando. A potential Game 6 is scheduled for Los Angeles. The team met briefly Friday. Both are expected to practice Saturday at Amway Arena.
"I told them [Lakers] that tomorrow we may be having our last practice of the season,'' Jackson said. "And that got them pretty excited.''
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/06/12/stan-van-gundy-jameer-nelson-blew-assignment-on-derek-fisher/#cont