The Mercury News

February 22, 2006
by Marcus Thompson II, Knight Ridder

On principle, Monty sticks with Fisher

SACRAMENTO - With the Warriors down 28 points to the Sacramento Kings entering the fourth quarter Tuesday, Coach Mike Montgomery still had Derek Fisher in the game. With Baron Davis' ankle injury having left Fisher as the team's lone healthy, experienced point guard, it seemed a good idea to give Fisher a rest -- especially after he fell hard on his wrist less than two minutes into the quarter.

The situation offered Montgomery the chance to give rookie Monta Ellis some much-needed minutes at the point, something Montgomery has said he wanted to do. But Fisher stayed in the game until 2:34 remained. Ellis played nearly 14 minutes, less than two minutes more than his average.

Fisher said he had no problem staying in the game because the Warriors needed something positive to build on.

``It was important for us to establish some things,'' said Fisher, who played 39 minutes. ``As a veteran player, you hate to be out there in those situations, but (Tuesday) was about the other 29 games.''

• Warriors center Adonal Foyle spent the All-Star break debating college students. Foyle and more than 100 students met in Albany, N.Y., for a weekend of brainstorming at the fifth annual Democracy Matters National Student Summit.

Foyle said the gathering talked a lot of politics.

``We were fighting. It was great,'' said Foyle, the founder of Democracy Matters, which aims to mobilize students behind campaign-finance and other reforms. ``We tell them to challenge everyone, even us.''

• Davis (sprained right ankle) missed his third consecutive game, but finally got out of his protective boot. He walked around under his own power Tuesday and spent pregame warm-ups hoisting set shots, his ankle protected by a smaller brace inside his shoe.

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