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Well Manu won't have a night like Game 1, at least on Game 2.
Someone else has to step up. Who?
OKC Thunder: Spurs' Manu Ginobili is a ballplayer the Thunder must fear
The veteran virtually carried San Antonio in the fourth quarter of a Game 1 victory.
By Michael Sherman | Published: May 27, 2012 Comment on this article 0
SAN ANTONIO — A couple days ago, Kevin Durant wondered why so many questions leading up to the Thunder-Spurs series focused on how the Thunder would stop the Spurs, and not the other way around.
I wonder if he still wonders.
I wonder if Monday the Thunder will spend any more energy making sure everyone knows Oklahoma City respects but does not fear the San Antonio Spurs.
Because after Game 1, a healthy dose of both seems to be in order.
There should be utmost respect for the team that turned the fourth quarter in to a finishing school if Oklahoma City was paying attention. And there should be fear of Manu Ginobili.
The fourth quarter of San Antonio's 101-98 victory was Ginobili's; everyone else was just playing in it. If you don't fear what Ginobili can do — what he did — it might be tough to get serious about trying to stop it in Game 2.
The Thunder did a decent job defending everyone else. The point guard duel between Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook didn't materialize, much to Westbrook's credit.
Parker's 42-point statement when they squared off a couple months ago and overall strong play vs. OKC apparently got through to Westbrook, who for three quarters looked like the defensive wiz Sam Presti drafted out of UCLA. Parker was 4 of 12 shooting until the fourth, and there were times when he looked more than a little bit unsure of himself.
Kendrick Perkins kept Tim Duncan sufficiently in check. You can live and win with Duncan's 6-of-15 shooting, especially with Perk batting foul trouble.
Oklahoma City cannot win — and the Spurs cannot lose — with Ginobili doing this thing, his thing.
Ginobili capped a 26-point performance with a near perfect fourth quarter of shooting (3 of 3 from the field, 5 of 5 from the line) and orchestration of the Spurs pick-and-roll magic.
He split defenders trying to ambush him at the point of a pick. He nailed step-back jumpers. He had the game on a string. And so much for the talk that he'd lost his 3-point touch in the postseason (29 percent going into Game 1). Ginobili was 3 of 5 from 3-point range Sunday night.
He was most deadly, however, attacking the basket. With San Antonio trailing 71-62, Ginobili executed a perfect pick-and-roll with reserve Tiago Splitter for a layup on the first possession of the fourth quarter. And right then it felt like something had changed.
“That's Manu's game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's a scorer. He's somebody we depend on to create and make things happen. Whether it's shooting or driving or assisting somebody else. That's what he's done for us his whole career. And it's very important to us.
“Without that, we have a tough time winning.”
Count me among the folks who have compared Thunder sixth-man extraordinaire James Harden to Ginobili. I think I've assigned a story or 12 to Darnell Mayberry on that very topic.
After Game 1, I think I'll quietly back away from that thought for a while.
“He's just left-handed and crafty,” said Harden, who knows left-handed and crafty when he sees it, even when it's blowing past him. “He can get to the rim. He made plays in the fourth quarter. We've got to do a better job of containing him and make him make passes. Like I've said, he had a very good fourth quarter.”
I don't know if James noticed, but Ginobili was pretty fierce at the end of the first quarter, when he scored seven straight points at a time the Thunder looked poised to run wild on the Spurs.
“Ginobili was terrific tonight, guys,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “He was making shots, making threes, getting to the basket, getting to the foul line. That's what he does. He finds cracks that you don't think it's even possible.
“He figures it out to get in there and get through to our guys.”
Now it's Brooks' job to get this through to them: Manu Ginobili with the basketball in his hand is scary.
Read more: http://newsok.com/okc-thunder-spurs-...#ixzz1wAKCjeLx
Well Manu won't have a night like Game 1, at least on Game 2.
Someone else has to step up. Who?
Danny Green?
Tbh Manu's the kind of guy who plays best when the Spurs need a closer.
If the team doesn't have a million turnovers in the first half again and shoots better than typical Playoff Bonner from three they won't need anyone to rescue them.
Shook off rust and OKC pushing the pace tbh
Plus Derek Fisher won't have a near perfect shooting night again
You both have a poin about the turnovers and Fisher.
The Thunders defense was amazing in the first 3 quarters. Took the Spurs a lot of time to figure it out and adjust. Only 2 turnovers in the second half.
The Spurs also figured out a way to slow down Durant in the second half. I'm sure Durant will see this type of defense more in game 2. Westbrook is a volume shooter. But he is a 35% shooter. Safalosha was unconscious for a while. Derek Fisher won't go 5 for 5 again, regardless ... And I'm sure Harden will play much better. I think it will only get tougher for the Thunder going forward. Let's see how good they are at making adjustments.
Says you.
Mnau is capable of having 3 more just like that.
yeh I don't get the sense that Manu is going to wilt away. Manu is a streaky player, he will go for 6 points one night, then 26 the next....but don't get the wrong idea, it's not because he is shooting poorly, it's because Manu is the ultimate team player, he steps aside when not needed, and takes the reigns when needed most.
I'm becoming convinced that when healthy, Manu just knows when he's needed to raise his game and he did it on cue. He wasn't needed like this in the first two rounds, but with Green having a bad night and Parker being less than stellar he knew it was his time.
The beauty about this is that any night there are a lot of guys who can get you 26 and boost the Spurs to a win. If they focus on Manu like the article says 5 other guys might take up the slack. That's how you win all these games is having guys step up when other guys are off their game. If Durant or Westbrook or Harden are having a bad game, who on OKC will step up and give you 20+ to carry them?
Manu really made things look easy out there. He can really punish the thunder when they go small (no shot blockers). He had several very uncontested layups. And thankfully, it appears he's not trying to make the sportscenter highlight reel anymore by attempting to dunk the basketball. I was very happy to see Manu lay the ball in gently and put as little stress on those ankles and knees as possible.
OKC is going to have a tough time containing him and Splitter this series.
Like Pop says, "He's Manu Ginobilli"
Oh I especially loved that layup where Manu faked a pass to the corner and blew past Durant. Durant was so totally faked out his jockstrap I don't think he ever even saw Manu's layup.
In my opinion, a play like that deserves to make the highlight reel more than some random dunk due to degree of difficulty because it takes serious IQ and skill to pull off.
Eat , doubters.
The thing is, OKC had almost everything break right, and they lost. They shot well from the arc, we shot like . They bottled up Parker. They contained Tim. The got 11 steals and 9 blocks. Many of those things will NOT happen again next game.
To game plan for Manu, they're going to HAVE to concede something else. That's the nature of the horror facing teams facing us this year.
Very valid point . . .
“He's just left-handed and crafty,” said Harden, who knows left-handed and crafty when he sees it, even when it's blowing past him.
Pop with the goods.
Excellent point. The chances of the Spurs offense being that horrible in a game 2 first half are next to nil. More likely San Antonio will run out to a eight or ten point lead by half time Tuesday. Then it'll be more of the same in the second half. I get the feeling that the Spurs really are genuinely unbeatable.
If they're going to guard the three point line and leave Perkins out there without ibaka backing him, Manu will have the looks he wants. Thabo would need to play better. He won't.
What got Manu going was his awful start. After he turned the ball over a couple of times and got his shot blocked another pair he was disgusted with himself, you could see it in his face.
How many times do you see Manu taking a forced fade away jumper with a guy on his face and a lot of time on the clock like he did on his first FG yesterday? He just wanted to end with his bull play once and for all.
What got Manu going was his awful start. After he turned the ball over a couple of times and got his shot blocked another pair he was disgusted with himself, you could see it in his face.
How many times do you see Manu taking a forced fade away jumper with a guy on his face and a lot of time on the clock like he did on his first FG yesterday? He just wanted to end with his bull play once and for all.
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I seem to remember posting something like this not too long ago...
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...hlight=Obi-WAN
Why not?
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