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Fisher is dialed in at long distance

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Times Staff Writer

How hot is Derek Fisher’s shot?

“You can’t leave him open right now,” forward Lamar Odom said. “He’s stretching that court out for us.”

Indeed, the 12-year veteran has added a dimension to a depleted Lakers team that desperately needs offense wherever it can get it, particularly from the outside.

Fisher, 33, is on target for career highs in shooting percentage (48%) and three-point percentage (46%), and is relatively close to another career-high pace with 12.5 points a game.

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With every game, it’s become more and more obvious how fortunate the Lakers are to have Fisher on their roster.

A steadying influence in many ways, Fisher scored 28 points and made six of seven shots from three-point range in the Lakers’ bounce-back 116-99 victory Monday against Denver. That they needed a boost after a languid loss to Phoenix would be an understatement.

“With Andrew [Bynum] out and Trevor [Ariza] out -- guys that have been effective for us in different spots -- we’re going to need guys to be willing to step up and take some more accountability, basically, for how our team performs,” Fisher said. “I wanted to be one of those guys.”

He was. Fisher scored 16 of the Lakers’ first 24 points against Denver and, for the second time this month, brushed up against his career high for points in a game (29).

“I didn’t realize I had 16 in the opening quarter, which is really funny,” he said. “It was a good feeling because we needed it. We needed to have a good first quarter, get the fans into the game and behind us and get ourselves going as a team.”

Fisher’s career bests are 43.7% shooting in 2002-03, 41.3% from three-point range in 2001-02 and 13.3 points a game in 2005-06.

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Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant was more playmaker than point-producer against the Nuggets, compiling 11 assists to go with 17 points.

“It’s just a game-to-game thing,” Bryant said. “You’ve just got to read the game and see what might work best on any given night.”

The way it developed against the Nuggets was ideal, Bryant said.

“It feels good to see [teammates] play so well,” he said. “That’s always the best scenario for us, when everybody’s playing well and I can just pick spots to attack. That’s always best.”

Who hid the San Antonio Spurs?

The team that won three of the last five NBA titles has lost five of its last nine games, a mildly surprising swoon for the defending champions, who play host to the Lakers tonight.

“Midseason blues,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. “Teams go through spells, in particular a team that has the age that that team has.

“They’re going to have guys in back-to-back situations, multiple-game situations that’ll be low-energy. But we have to remember this team has a lot of experience. They still have a great team.”

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TONIGHT

at San Antonio, 6, Ch. 9

Site -- AT&T; Center.

Radio -- 570; 1330.

Records -- Lakers 27-12, Spurs 26-13.

Record vs. Spurs -- 1-1.

Update -- The Lakers defeated the Spurs last month, 102-97, although Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out because of sprained ankles. The Spurs easily beat the Lakers in November, 107-92. Duncan was not effective in that game -- five points on two-for-13 shooting and five rebounds -- but another post player, Matt Bonner, burned the Lakers for 15 points, including three three-pointers.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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