MaNuMaNiAc
05-18-2005, 10:12 AM
Back in lineup, lead
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051805.1C.BKNspurs.sonics.gamer5.2858c2960.htm l
Web Posted: 05/18/2005 01:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
His long black hair slung over his ear, sweat beading on his forehead, Manu Ginobili was muttering who-knows-what as he drove past Ray Allen and into Danny Fortson.
The collision with Seattle's wide-bodied center knocked Ginobili sideways, yet he continued to hang in the air, somehow releasing a one-handed push shot from his chest that curled over the rim and settled perfectly into the net.
As Ginobili walked to free-throw line, Tim Duncan watched the replay on the overhead scoreboard. Wide-eyed, he looked across the sideline and mouthed a simple, “Damn!”
Ginobili elicited similar reactions for much of Tuesday night, leading the Spurs to a 103-90 victory with a 39-point performance that was as relentless as it was thrilling. Pumping his fist and yelling at himself, he had the SBC Center's sellout crowd of 18,797 on its feet, in the process also lifting the Spurs to a 3-2 lead over the Sonics in the Western Conference semifinals.
“Your best players that play with that kind of heart and that kind of will,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “really carry everybody else along with them.”
Plugged back into the starting lineup, Ginobili responded by making 10 of 15 shots and all but two of his 17 free throws. He broke open a tie game by either scoring or assisting on the Spurs' first 20 points of the second half.
“When he is rolling like that, the crowd gets into it, and that is the energy we need,” Duncan said. “He was awesome.”
If Ginobili led with his competitiveness, several of his teammates did their best to follow. Bruce Bowen shadowed Ray Allen, helping limit him to 19 points, all but four of which came in the second quarter. Nazr Mohammed contributed 19 points and seven rebounds to go along with Duncan's 20 and 14.
Beno Udrih even took on the most dangerous assignment of the night, stepping up and absorbed a charge from Fortson, whose listed weight of 260 pounds appears 20 pounds too conservative.
“They've had that guy going down the lane quite often,” Popovich said. “It was good to have somebody take their life in their hands and do something about it.”
The Spurs cleaned up some of their mistakes from Sunday's humbling loss, reducing their turnovers from 23 to nine while also playing, Popovich said, “a modicum of defense.” The most important change, however, might have been to the team's starting lineup.
With Seattle again using a three-guard unit to compensate for the loss of injured forward Rashard Lewis, Popovich countered by giving Ginobili his first start since the opening game of the playoffs. Though the Spurs won seven consecutive games with Ginobili coming off the bench, two losses in Seattle - coupled with the struggles of Brent Barry and Tony Parker - convinced them they needed his aggressiveness from the opening tip.
“Basically,” Popovich said, “I just thought it was time.”
Ginobili responded as he usually does. After Parker fed him on the break, he rushed past Antonio Daniels for an emphatic dunk that brought the crowd to its feet.
Despite his efforts, the Spurs went into halftime tied at 50. Said Allen: “I think they were pretty nervous in that locker room.”
Parker looked skittish at times, missing eight of his first nine shots. He blew a defensive assignment early in the third quarter, causing Duncan to pick up his third foul and prompting Popovich to scream, “Tony, it's no time to (bleep) around!”
“I missed a lot of easy baskets, a lot of layups,” said Parker, who made three consecutive jump shots in the final three minutes. “It was a tough night, but Manu carried us.”
Never more so than to start the second half. Three times in four minutes, Ginobili found Mohammed for baskets at the rim.
If Ginobili wasn't setting up his center - or Bowen in the corner - he was either stepping back to coolly drill a 3-pointer or bulling his way to the foul line. After he hit a 24-footer to extend the Spurs' lead to 67-53 with 7:10 left in the third quarter, he spun around, clinched both his fists and screamed.
“If we had to give up anything,” Sonics coach Nate McMillan said, “a contested perimeter shot was what we wanted them to take.”
Seattle continued to claw back, trimming its 16-point deficit. Ginobili answered as he had all evening, grabbing a rebounding, driving his way to the free-throw line. Five minutes later, he dribbled behind his back to split Allen and Damien Wilkins, who cracked him hard to the floor.
After Duncan pulled him to his feet, Ginobili brushed the hair out of his eyes before stepping to the line. He made both free throws. The crowd gave him one last roar.
“I knew today was very important from the beginning,” Ginobili said. “To be contagious, to show the crowd we were here and we needed their help, too. When you create that atmosphere, it's easier.”
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051805.1C.BKNspurs.sonics.gamer5.2858c2960.htm l
Web Posted: 05/18/2005 01:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
His long black hair slung over his ear, sweat beading on his forehead, Manu Ginobili was muttering who-knows-what as he drove past Ray Allen and into Danny Fortson.
The collision with Seattle's wide-bodied center knocked Ginobili sideways, yet he continued to hang in the air, somehow releasing a one-handed push shot from his chest that curled over the rim and settled perfectly into the net.
As Ginobili walked to free-throw line, Tim Duncan watched the replay on the overhead scoreboard. Wide-eyed, he looked across the sideline and mouthed a simple, “Damn!”
Ginobili elicited similar reactions for much of Tuesday night, leading the Spurs to a 103-90 victory with a 39-point performance that was as relentless as it was thrilling. Pumping his fist and yelling at himself, he had the SBC Center's sellout crowd of 18,797 on its feet, in the process also lifting the Spurs to a 3-2 lead over the Sonics in the Western Conference semifinals.
“Your best players that play with that kind of heart and that kind of will,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “really carry everybody else along with them.”
Plugged back into the starting lineup, Ginobili responded by making 10 of 15 shots and all but two of his 17 free throws. He broke open a tie game by either scoring or assisting on the Spurs' first 20 points of the second half.
“When he is rolling like that, the crowd gets into it, and that is the energy we need,” Duncan said. “He was awesome.”
If Ginobili led with his competitiveness, several of his teammates did their best to follow. Bruce Bowen shadowed Ray Allen, helping limit him to 19 points, all but four of which came in the second quarter. Nazr Mohammed contributed 19 points and seven rebounds to go along with Duncan's 20 and 14.
Beno Udrih even took on the most dangerous assignment of the night, stepping up and absorbed a charge from Fortson, whose listed weight of 260 pounds appears 20 pounds too conservative.
“They've had that guy going down the lane quite often,” Popovich said. “It was good to have somebody take their life in their hands and do something about it.”
The Spurs cleaned up some of their mistakes from Sunday's humbling loss, reducing their turnovers from 23 to nine while also playing, Popovich said, “a modicum of defense.” The most important change, however, might have been to the team's starting lineup.
With Seattle again using a three-guard unit to compensate for the loss of injured forward Rashard Lewis, Popovich countered by giving Ginobili his first start since the opening game of the playoffs. Though the Spurs won seven consecutive games with Ginobili coming off the bench, two losses in Seattle - coupled with the struggles of Brent Barry and Tony Parker - convinced them they needed his aggressiveness from the opening tip.
“Basically,” Popovich said, “I just thought it was time.”
Ginobili responded as he usually does. After Parker fed him on the break, he rushed past Antonio Daniels for an emphatic dunk that brought the crowd to its feet.
Despite his efforts, the Spurs went into halftime tied at 50. Said Allen: “I think they were pretty nervous in that locker room.”
Parker looked skittish at times, missing eight of his first nine shots. He blew a defensive assignment early in the third quarter, causing Duncan to pick up his third foul and prompting Popovich to scream, “Tony, it's no time to (bleep) around!”
“I missed a lot of easy baskets, a lot of layups,” said Parker, who made three consecutive jump shots in the final three minutes. “It was a tough night, but Manu carried us.”
Never more so than to start the second half. Three times in four minutes, Ginobili found Mohammed for baskets at the rim.
If Ginobili wasn't setting up his center - or Bowen in the corner - he was either stepping back to coolly drill a 3-pointer or bulling his way to the foul line. After he hit a 24-footer to extend the Spurs' lead to 67-53 with 7:10 left in the third quarter, he spun around, clinched both his fists and screamed.
“If we had to give up anything,” Sonics coach Nate McMillan said, “a contested perimeter shot was what we wanted them to take.”
Seattle continued to claw back, trimming its 16-point deficit. Ginobili answered as he had all evening, grabbing a rebounding, driving his way to the free-throw line. Five minutes later, he dribbled behind his back to split Allen and Damien Wilkins, who cracked him hard to the floor.
After Duncan pulled him to his feet, Ginobili brushed the hair out of his eyes before stepping to the line. He made both free throws. The crowd gave him one last roar.
“I knew today was very important from the beginning,” Ginobili said. “To be contagious, to show the crowd we were here and we needed their help, too. When you create that atmosphere, it's easier.”