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01-07-2008, 01:18 AM
Ginobili's return helps Spurs break road slump
Web Posted: 01/06/2008 10:14 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News
LOS ANGELES — Manu Ginobili brought a jacket to the Staples Center, just in case.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had informed Ginobili before the team left San Antonio that he would be making his long-awaited return from the injured list in Sunday's afternoon matinee against the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I'll believe it when I'm out there playing," Ginobili joked.
Turns out, Ginobili didn't need the sport coat after all. Back on the floor after missing two weeks with a sprained left index finger, his black No. 20 road jersey worked just fine in the Spurs' 88-82 victory.
Intact essentially for the first time since November, the Spurs' "Big Three" showed why they are the Spurs' "Big Three."
Tony Parker led the way with 26 points, Tim Duncan had a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double and Ginobili pumped in 23 points as the Spurs overcame another clank-filled shooting outing to open their two-game West Coast swing with a rare road victory.
The Spurs conclude their latest road trip tonight at Golden State.
Chris Kaman had 20 points and 14 rebounds for his 25th double-double, but couldn't keep the Clippers from losing for the ninth time in 11 games.
Afterward, no Spurs player's smile outshone Ginobili's, if for no other reason than he hadn't had to sport the business casual look the NBA requires of inactive players.
"I was very happy just to be back," said Ginobili, who had been out since Dec. 22. "At the beginning, I didn't care if I even did well. I just wanted to play."
The victory stopped a string of four consecutive road losses for the Spurs, who hadn't won away from the AT&T Center since Nov. 30. Not coincidentally, that was also the last time the Spurs had managed to finish a game with each of their "Big Three" upright.
For the past two weeks, the Spurs (23-9) had struggled to produce points without Ginobili, their bench catalyst and second-leading scorer.
"He's our finisher, our attacker," Duncan said. "It adds another dimension to our team when someone like that can break down a defense when things aren't working exactly."
Even though he was a little rusty and dealing with a cumbersome finger splint on his shooting hand, Ginobili at least made the Spurs' talented triumvirate whole again.
Not quite confident in his outside shot, Ginobili opted instead for an old standby scoring strategy — just get to the basket and at least get fouled.
Ginobili made 12 of 13 free throws Sunday, which shouldn't be surprising. For a much of the time he was out, all he could do was shoot foul shots.
"Some of them right-handed," the southpaw said with a grin.
For a good portion of the game, Ginobili's teammates seemed to be shooting wrong-handed as well.
In what is becoming a startling trend, the Spurs shot below 40 percent for most of the afternoon, needing a late surge to get to 40.5. They won instead with defense, most notably during a stretch of 7:35 to close the first half in which they held the Clippers without a field goal.
That allowed the Spurs to transform a 10-point deficit into a 42-42 tie heading into intermission.
By game's end, the Clippers (10-21) had become the seventh Spurs' foe in eight games to manage 90 points or less.
"Now if we can learn to score," Popovich said, "we'd be dangerous."
Thanks to the reconvening of the "Big Three," the Spurs scored just enough to win Sunday.
Nobody was happier to be a part of it than Ginobili.
He had been pestering Popovich to play him since the Spurs' last road trip, a loss at Denver last Thursday. Asking turned to begging after Popovich kept Ginobili inactive for Friday's home victory over New York.
Still, Ginobili's head coach wouldn't budge.
Popovich at last relented Saturday, just before the team left for the West Coast. He told Ginobili to pack his uniform.
Just to be safe, Ginobili packed the sport coat, too.
As he cleared out his stall in the visitor's locker room at the Staples Center, his brown corduroy jacket remained, hanging alone, exactly where it had been the entire afternoon.
If only for a second, Ginobili considered leaving it in Los Angeles. Just in case.
[email protected]
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA010708.01F.BKNspurs.clippers.gamer.283b8d8.htm l
Web Posted: 01/06/2008 10:14 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News
LOS ANGELES — Manu Ginobili brought a jacket to the Staples Center, just in case.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had informed Ginobili before the team left San Antonio that he would be making his long-awaited return from the injured list in Sunday's afternoon matinee against the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I'll believe it when I'm out there playing," Ginobili joked.
Turns out, Ginobili didn't need the sport coat after all. Back on the floor after missing two weeks with a sprained left index finger, his black No. 20 road jersey worked just fine in the Spurs' 88-82 victory.
Intact essentially for the first time since November, the Spurs' "Big Three" showed why they are the Spurs' "Big Three."
Tony Parker led the way with 26 points, Tim Duncan had a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double and Ginobili pumped in 23 points as the Spurs overcame another clank-filled shooting outing to open their two-game West Coast swing with a rare road victory.
The Spurs conclude their latest road trip tonight at Golden State.
Chris Kaman had 20 points and 14 rebounds for his 25th double-double, but couldn't keep the Clippers from losing for the ninth time in 11 games.
Afterward, no Spurs player's smile outshone Ginobili's, if for no other reason than he hadn't had to sport the business casual look the NBA requires of inactive players.
"I was very happy just to be back," said Ginobili, who had been out since Dec. 22. "At the beginning, I didn't care if I even did well. I just wanted to play."
The victory stopped a string of four consecutive road losses for the Spurs, who hadn't won away from the AT&T Center since Nov. 30. Not coincidentally, that was also the last time the Spurs had managed to finish a game with each of their "Big Three" upright.
For the past two weeks, the Spurs (23-9) had struggled to produce points without Ginobili, their bench catalyst and second-leading scorer.
"He's our finisher, our attacker," Duncan said. "It adds another dimension to our team when someone like that can break down a defense when things aren't working exactly."
Even though he was a little rusty and dealing with a cumbersome finger splint on his shooting hand, Ginobili at least made the Spurs' talented triumvirate whole again.
Not quite confident in his outside shot, Ginobili opted instead for an old standby scoring strategy — just get to the basket and at least get fouled.
Ginobili made 12 of 13 free throws Sunday, which shouldn't be surprising. For a much of the time he was out, all he could do was shoot foul shots.
"Some of them right-handed," the southpaw said with a grin.
For a good portion of the game, Ginobili's teammates seemed to be shooting wrong-handed as well.
In what is becoming a startling trend, the Spurs shot below 40 percent for most of the afternoon, needing a late surge to get to 40.5. They won instead with defense, most notably during a stretch of 7:35 to close the first half in which they held the Clippers without a field goal.
That allowed the Spurs to transform a 10-point deficit into a 42-42 tie heading into intermission.
By game's end, the Clippers (10-21) had become the seventh Spurs' foe in eight games to manage 90 points or less.
"Now if we can learn to score," Popovich said, "we'd be dangerous."
Thanks to the reconvening of the "Big Three," the Spurs scored just enough to win Sunday.
Nobody was happier to be a part of it than Ginobili.
He had been pestering Popovich to play him since the Spurs' last road trip, a loss at Denver last Thursday. Asking turned to begging after Popovich kept Ginobili inactive for Friday's home victory over New York.
Still, Ginobili's head coach wouldn't budge.
Popovich at last relented Saturday, just before the team left for the West Coast. He told Ginobili to pack his uniform.
Just to be safe, Ginobili packed the sport coat, too.
As he cleared out his stall in the visitor's locker room at the Staples Center, his brown corduroy jacket remained, hanging alone, exactly where it had been the entire afternoon.
If only for a second, Ginobili considered leaving it in Los Angeles. Just in case.
[email protected]
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA010708.01F.BKNspurs.clippers.gamer.283b8d8.htm l