Tim Duncan
Duncan had a streaky game but he was a huge part of the win. He struggled early on but recovered on both ends of the court like champions do. Once he started to punish single-team coverage, he forced the Suns to send help. Once the Suns made that adjustment, it opened the floodgates for shots from downtown. His defense near the end of the game was almost perfect. Not the best of Duncan, but good enough.
Grade: B+
Manu Ginobili
Sure, Ginobili had some big turnovers in the fourth quarter. But like I always say regarding Ginobili, as long as he's being aggressive then I'm happy. His 26 points led the way for the Spurs and he hit many huge free throws down the stretch. Also worthy of note were his huge rebounds he snagged at various points in the game and possessions of possessed defense. He's still relying on his three-pointer a tad too much, but no one can fault his effort. Ginobili gave everything he possible could for the Spurs to win.
Grade: B+
Tony Parker
I was proud of the way Parker fought through adversity in this game. His jumper wasn't falling for most of the game and that allowed the Suns to really pack the paint on him. Instead of folding and just depending on others, he kept fighting. Because of that, the Spurs were rewarded with a great effort down the stretch from their point guard. He hit a jumper to tie the game for the first time in the second half. Parker also got the assists on the other final two baskets, three-pointers from Finley and Bowen. Defensively, Parker continued his amazing play. Quietly, he's been the best defender on the team this series.
Grade: B
Bruce Bowen
Bowen's three-pointer with 36 seconds to go in the game might go down as the biggest shot of his career. It gave the Spurs a lead that they never relinquished. On top of that, he played amazing defense on Nash down the stretch. While that hasn't always been the case this series, he was in top form in the fourth quarter on Nash.
Grade: B+
Francisco Elson
Elson looked lost. He had a couple of decent plays but he was a liability when he was on the court. More concentration while on the court would help matters.
Grade: D+
Michael Finley
Finley hit some big buckets and was one of the few Spurs not hesitating on their shot. His defense down the stretch was greatly improved and his will to win was apparent all game. He missed some shots but overall, Finley did his part.
Grade: B-
Brent Barry
As good as Barry was in Games 3 and 4, that's how bad he was in Game 5. Honestly, I'm not totally sure he made the flight to Phoenix. No points, one assists and one rebound in 16 minutes is not exactly what the Spurs had in mind coming off his last two performances. Timid Barry was back.
Grade: D
Fabricio Oberto
Early on, it seemed like Oberto was the only Spur who wanted to win. He came ready to play and ready to take home the victory. You couldn't say that for too many Spurs in the beginning of the contest. However, Oberto became a liability when the Suns went to their mini-ball lineup.
Grade: B-
Robert Horry
Horry's defense on Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw was fantastic. He kept both players in check single handedly. He didn't get many open shots tonight, but he made all the ones he took. Although he was seventh on the team in plus/minus at +0, his impact went beyond the numbers.
Grade: A
Jacque Vaughn
If it's possible to play a worse six minutes, I'd like to see it. Well, as long as it's on the other team. Vaughn was literally the best player for the Suns. It's gotten to the point that it's hard to watch when Vaughn is in the game. Please for the love of all that is holy, please stop shooting the ball, Jacque. Please?
Grade: D
Pop
It was a tale of two halves for Pop. In the first half, he was getting outcoached and was being stubborn. The lineup the Suns put on the court screamed for small ball from the Spurs. Yet Pop decided he was going to let Shawn Marion go for Wilt Chamberlain numbers in the first half. Luckily, Pop came to his senses and put a lineup out there that could compete with what the Suns had to play with. He leaned heavily on his stars in the second half, which was the right call. He also learned from the last game and did a better job of conserving timeouts.
Grade: C+
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