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Point guards come up short

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Times Staff Writer

SALT LAKE CITY -- It was a rough night for the Lakers’ ballhandling guards, in front of an unforgiving crowd that gladly threw a spotlight on their woes.

Derek Fisher was booed whenever he touched the ball, got in early foul trouble, and gave way to Jordan Farmar, who had troubles of his own.

Farmar missed all six of his shots and was scoreless with two turnovers in 16 minutes.

“I thought Jordan was off his rhythm, obviously,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

Fisher finished with 13 points and had two key steals in the final minutes, but it wasn’t enough.

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A year and a day ago, Fisher experienced a memorable event with the Jazz, flying to New York for his daughter’s surgery for eye cancer and arriving later in the day in time to make an important shot in overtime of a Jazz playoff victory over Golden State.

There were cheers and boos when he was introduced Friday, though it was only the latter from the time he first touched the ball to the end of the game.

“Actually, I felt more at ease coming into tonight’s game probably more than the first two games [here] this season,” he said. “It’s been a situation that’s obviously been documented and talked about. At this point, I don’t feel there’s anything else to hang on to or feel too emotional about it. I think all parties have moved on.”

Fisher wasn’t happy with himself for picking up two fouls in the first 2:57 of the first quarter. The Lakers led at the time, 11-4.

“That left us in a tough spot, I think,” he said. “I felt like if I had been able to hang in there, we could have maybe had some more separation there in the first quarter.”

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Trevor Ariza got a second opinion from a Salt Lake City foot specialist who said Friday that the broken bone in Ariza’s right foot still hadn’t fully healed.

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Ariza was hopeful a couple of weeks ago that he would return for the second round, but it now looks doubtful because the healing in his foot has slowed.

He has been cleared to take part in basketball-related drills, but not in games or practices, a reality that has left him frustrated

“There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said. “So, the cards that I’m dealt right now, I’ve got to deal with it. All I can do is cheer my teammates on.”

Ariza, sidelined since Jan. 20, will be examined by Los Angeles doctors next week to see if there is any progress.

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Times staff writer Jonathan Abrams contributed to this report.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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