by Jonathan Feigen, Sports Xchange

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He had taken five 3-pointers and missed them all. Throughout the postseason, his once faithful shot had betrayed him. Burned by everyone from Aaron Brooks to Chauncey Billups to even Rafer Alston a game before, the evidence seemed mounting that he should be replaced by one of the younger, swifter point guards serving as his understudies.

The Lakers, down by three points as the final seconds of Game 4 ticked away, were down to their last chance, with Kobe Bryant trapped in the backcourt and Fisher racing with the ball toward an inexplicably back-pedaling Jameer Nelson.

Fisher launched with as much confidence and poise as if he were closing out a game of H-O-R-S-E in his driveway. He did not sway with desperate body English, never seemed to pause for a wistful moment as the ball sailed those 26 feet beyond his control. He took it like so many other 3-pointers over the years, then turned and moved on to the next play, as emotionless as a surgeon after the day's first incision.

"I know that my teammates are also looking at my responses when things go well as well as when they're going bad," Fisher said. "I just wanted to make sure I stayed in the right place knowing that overtime was in front of us."

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was right not to foul with 11 seconds left. That is too early to begin giving away points, especially with Fisher getting to his shot so quickly and the Magic so often clanging free throws.

Once in overtime, however, the Magic were never the same, making just 1 of 7 shots to lose 99-91. When Fisher nailed another 3, this time with the game tied with 31.3 overtime seconds left, he knew that the Magic were finished.

This 3-pointer by Derek Fisher sent the game into overtime. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

They could point to many failings, most of all the two free throws that Dwight Howard missed with 11.1 seconds left in regulation, allowing the Lakers to remain within Fisher's drive to a 3-pointer.

Those misses brought a painful reminder of the four free throws Nick Anderson missed when the Magic made their previous trip to the Finals, allowing the Houston Rockets to send that series' first game to an overtime win on the way to a sweep.

Just as that series was won more than lost, so too was Thursday's Lakers triumph, with a veteran stepping up and demonstrating why he has not been replaced.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson did not know that Fisher would make such shots when needed most, though he might have suspected it. Sometimes, decisions come down to something else. Others have abilities Fisher can't match and never could. But sometimes, it is a matter of feel and trust.

Fisher had earned Jackson's faith over the years. That cannot be replaced by measuring vertical leap or even studying stat sheets.

Sometimes, it is about something bigger and much tougher to replace than all that.

"It's character," Jackson said. "We've always said the character has got to be in players if they're going to be great players. You can't just draft it. It's not just about talent, it's about character, and he's a person of high character, brings that to play, not only in just his gamesmanship but also his intestinal fortitude."

Jackson has won championships with Fisher at the point. Fisher was too small then, too. He was never much of a playmaker. He was more tough than gifted defensively.

Now that he will turn 35 in two months, his limitations seem to point to his advancing years. But Fisher still has Jackson's confidence, and his own.

"I've heard different versions of it," Fisher said. "Now it's age. Before it was other things in terms of not being able to shoot or not tall enough or whatever the case was, and so I've always used those things as motivation to work even harder and try to be better than I was before.

"Some of the credit does belong outside of myself in terms of my teammates, also Phil, and just the way that he's willing to stick with certain people that he believes can help get the job done and that it's not always about statistically what is this guy going to bring to the table. But when this guy or these guys are on the floor together, as a coach he's confident in those five guys' ability to win a game.

"We had that type of group before where it was myself and Kobe and Robert (Horry) and Rick Fox and Shaq (O'Neal). Those were the five guys that I don't care what time or who we were playing, those were the five guys that were going to finish a game."

They would not make every shot, but it was never a surprise when a champion does.

Fisher was not the least bit surprised when he forced overtime and did not offer even a hint of a smile.

But after his OT 3-pointer, he knew. He let out a small, satisfied smile and shook a fist even though there was still more than a half-minute left for the Magic to climb out of their three-point hole.

"You know, I just sensed that was the dagger," he said. "That was the one that would put us in a position to close out the game, even though the game wasn't over at that point."

He had, however, done enough. He had missed shots all night, but he made the ones he had to.

This wasn't a surprise. It was typical.

"He's been there before," Bryant said. "He's been there and done that. In the locker room I was kind of teasing him a little bit because he was 0-for-5 on 3-pointers until he made those last two. But that's Derek.

"That's what makes champions."