THE FISH THAT SAVED L.A. GETS REWARD.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

EL SEGUNDO - The University of Arkansas-Little Rock sports-information office wasted not four-tenths of a second Friday before e-mailing Los Angeles reporters to clear up what it views as a misconception about alumnus Derek Fisher.

``Last-Second Heroics Nothing New to Fisher'' was the headline on a press release purporting to show the little guard had enjoyed clutch stardom before the buzzer-beating heave in San Antonio that gave the Lakers a classic victory over the Spurs.

Among the examples of Fisher's ``valiant'' late-game performances:

Nov. 17, 1992: Fisher hits one free throw to tie the game at 74-74 with 1:25 to play in UALR's 76-74 win over the Finnish National Team.

And Feb. 13, 1993: With 19 seconds to play against South Alabama, Fisher hits two free throws for the game's final points in an 85-79 UALR win.

And Dec. 21, 1994: Against Southwest Texas State, Fisher makes two free throws with 57 seconds left for a 65-65 tie (in a game UALR would go on to lose).

Not to say any of us will ever forget the free throw that turned back mighty Finland, but this effort at basketball spin control would seem to prove the very point it's meant to disprove.

Let's face it, when it comes to a moment in the spotlight, a good man named Derek Fisher was way overdue.

Shaquille O'Neal describes Fisher, 29, his Lakers teammate for eight seasons, in terms of trusty hardware.

``He's one of those bolts that you can't cut through that hold the bridge up,'' O'Neal said after the brief practice-and-film session the day after the sensational Thursday-night win in Texas. ``Of course the bridge looks very, very nice, but without bolts like him the bridge would fall.''

``He's the consummate professional,'' Shaq added. ``Excellent role model for children. Great guy to be around. He hit a great shot last night, and I'm glad he hit that shot.''

Kobe Bryant, also an eight-year teammate, speaks of Fisher's struggle to get ``the recognition he deserves.''

``Derek's always been here, always been a professional, always played hard and played with passion,'' Bryant said with the Lakers up 3-2 and a win from the series going into tonight's game at Staples Center. ``But it seems like he's had to prove himself over and over. Maybe this will take him to the spotlight level.''

Phil Jackson, Fisher's coach for five years, talks about his ability to make end-of-the-game plays that don't necessarily register in the box score.

``He's a winner,'' Jackson said. ``He's one of these guys that has always impressed us, ever since the first year I came here and there was a lot of talk about his inadequacies and what he couldn't do, rather than what he can do.''

After being forced out of the starting five by Gary Payton, after hearing the annual disrespectful comments about his right to line up with the Lakers' All-Stars, Fisher has become the most famous 6.5-points-a-game scorer in these NBA playoffs.

It took 0.4 of a second - all Fisher needed to catch Payton's leading pass from the left front-court sideline stripe, twist and kick and arch his 18-footer over the arms of Manu Ginobili - to become L.A.'s newest and perhaps most thoroughly admired sports hero.

Friday evening, it was announced that Staples Center's and Universal City Walk's Team LA stores had sold out its entire stock of Fisher Lakers replica jerseys, nearly 100 copies. Fresh crates of the shirts were expected to arrive next week. It appears Fisher has become the city's most popular No. 2 since Tom Lasorda or Ed McMahon.

Until now, Fisher was a model of charge-taking grit, selflessness, cooperation, leadership and consistency but had no single moment to secure more than a footnote in the book of the three Shaq-Kobe-Phil championships.

If there was a moment that defined him, it was one that occurred behind the scenes, when the then-23-year-old Fisher put in each Laker's locker a letter urging the team to stick together as it trailed Utah 3-0 in the 1998 Western Conference final. The Lakers were swept out of the series. But a club conscience was born.

``He's always been the real quiet vocal leader on the team, if that makes sense,'' O'Neal said.

Typically, Fisher pointed out Friday that Bryant's 20-footer giving the Lakers a one-point lead with 11.9 seconds to play ``was probably bigger than mine.''

Fisher might be too effective a bolt to be a graceful bridge. Too comfortable in the shadows to soak up the limelight. He was asked Friday if he considered the last night's starring role a reward of some kind.

``If we win the championship, I'll look at it that way,'' said Fisher, who, according to his brother and personal coach Duane Washington, returned to his Encino home after the Lakers' midnight flight home and toasted the moment with water. ``It won't mean the same if we don't finish what we've started.''

That's Derek Fisher.

The Lakers knew it. Real Lakers fans knew it. At last the nation knows it, and the nation isn't Finland.