Final Score: Lakers 91, Celtics 84

It wasn’t Kobe Bryant’s typical heroics. Nor was it Rajon Rondo’s dynamic play. Paul Pierce didn’t do it, not did Pau Gasol. It wasn’t Ron Artest with a crazy shot or Ray Allen with a pure one. No, none of these guys won Game 3 of the NBA Finals for their teams in the clutch in the 4th quarter.

It was Derek Fisher, 35-year-old, 14-year veteran who rose to the occasion and made all the big plays down the stretch for the Lakers, leading L.A. to a 91-84 victory in Boston in Game 3.

Fisher scored 11 of his 15 points in the 4th quarter, converting on several big shots with under 6 minutes to play that allowed L.A. to hang on to a slim lead that Boston was never able to overcome. Fisher drove hard to his left, his dominant hand, on three separate occasions to convert on shots that almost always would go to Kobe Bryant. But while Kobe had an off shooting night, Fisher was the go-to guy in the 4th quarter, restoring his reputation as a big-time clutch player.

On a night where Kobe Bryant shot just 10 for 29, Pau Gasol was 5 for 11, Andrew Bynum shot 3 of 9, and Ron Artest was just 1 for 4, it was the often overlooked veteran point guard who saved the day for the Lakers. Fisher was visibly emotional after the game in a heat-of-the-moment interview on the court.

The veteran was on the verge of tears and got choked up while starting his response to sideline reporter Doris Burke’s first question. Rarely do you ever see an athlete express his raw emotions in an off-court setting. Fisher couldn’t hold back his incredible happiness, and fans couldn’t help but feel great for him.

If given the odds on which player would step up and win his team a game in this series, Fisher might have been number 9 or 10 on the list. But some may have seen this coming, given his history of strong-willed clutch performances in late-game situations in the playoffs. It just seemed highly unlikely that Fisher would be the one in this series, one filled with so many great players and playmakers that were more likely options.

Fisher’s heroics will be remembered in this one, but much of the other action from Game 3 in Boston will not be forgotten, for both good and bad reasons.

Let’s start with Ray Allen. The NBA’s purest shooter went off in Game 2 in Los Angeles, setting NBA records for most three-pointers made in a Finals game (8), most threes made in a half (7), most in a quarter (5), and most consecutive three-pointers made (7). But on Tuesday night in his friendly home confines, Allen could not get anything to fall. Allen was an astonishing 0 for 13 in the game, including 0 for 8 from behind the arc. Most of the shots were decent looks, and similar opportunities to the shots he was making in Game 2. It just wasn’t his night.

Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett was the best player on the floor for most of the game. The same player who had been averaging 14 points and 5 rebounds through 2 games went off for 25 and 6 in Game 3. Garnett scored the first 6 points of the game and continued to be a featured option for Boston throughout the game. He kept his emotions in check, got the best of his matchup with Pau Gasol, and kept his team in the game. But it wasn’t enough to lead to a win.

Kobe Bryant had his worst shooting performance of the playoffs. He scored 29 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists, but it came on a 10-for-29 shooting performance. The Celtics were happy with their defense on both him and Pau Gasol, limiting the Laker forward to just 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting.

Lamar Odom was a perfect 5-for-5 on the night and had a nice, efficient game, but wasn’t all that involved in the action for most of it. It was a quiet 12 points and 5 rebounds for Odom, who never missed but never really made an imprint on the game. Andrew Bynum appeared less fluid and active in Game 3, able to score just 9 points. He did have 10 rebounds, as did Pau Gasol.

Rajon Rondo started off the game hot, and continued to make several key plays for the Celtics. But he was nowhere to be found for several key stretches in the second half. Rondo would drive hard to the hoop and maneuver by defenders, but couldn’t find space to get off a quality shot. Laker perimeter defenders also stayed at home on the Boston shooters so that they would not get good looks when Rondo penetrated. He finished with 11 points and 8 assists in 42 minutes.

Overall, there were a lot of strange performances in this one. For 3 and a half quarters, Lamar Odom and Kevin Garnett, the previously most maligned players on each team, were the MVP’s of the game. The back and forth, low-scoring game was up for grabs with 6 minutes to play in the 4th, and the Laker veteran point guard played the role of hero.

Forget about the crazy box score and unusual gameplay for 42 minutes. When it came down to it, this game was won by the hungrier team for the last 6 minutes. It’s tough to tell which team won that battle, as they both played their hearts out. But it was clear which player had the most significant impact, and that was Fisher. He clinched this win by taking an outlet pass at half court with the Lakers up by 4 with 50 seconds to play, read the defense, and decided to drive to the basket and attack a flatfooted Boston defense. The veteran converted the layup amongst contact from 3 outstretched Boston defenders who all got a piece of him. The and-1 conversion sealed Boston’s fate as losers of Game 3 on their home court.

As we move onto Game 4, only one thing is clear in this series: Expect the unexpected. We can analyze box scores and matchups all we want, but this series is being won by whichever team gets into a rhythm and shows more desire during different stretches of each game. It’s a battle of tremendous coaches, true superstars, and glorified role players. Everyone is giving it their all.

I’d say that Game 4 is an absolute must-win for Boston, but I’m not a total believer in that. Anything can happen in this series. It’s an intense rivalry, and no player is going home without leaving their all on the floor. If L.A. takes Game 4 on Thursday, they’ll get 3 chances to close out the series, including the last 2 at home. If Boston prevails in Game 4, we’re back to a wild matchup and tight best-of-3 scenario for the final three games.

I don’t need to say any more. This series is crazy and just stay tuned and keep watching for another great game in Boston on Thursday night.