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Seems like Manu handled the move in a great way.
The Spurs were a frickin' machine tonight. They have to keep up the energy and aggressiveness in Game 3, but this victory was sweet.
Right from the start: Barry boosts new lineup, which cruises to tie series
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
For three days, the Spurs and all their hang-up-and-listen afternoon psychologists contemplated what the team needed to do to avoid a repeat of Sunday's playoff-opening loss.
SPORTS
(Billy Calzada/Express-News)
Should Glenn Robinson play more minutes? Should Tim Duncan play fewer? Did Tony Parker need to dump his desperate housewife? And his T-shirt collection?
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ignored it all. Instead, he benched Manu Ginobili.
With Duncan and Parker playing like, well, Duncan and Parker and Ginobili providing his usual energy and fire, only in reserve, the Spurs routed the Denver Nuggets 104-76 on Wednesday night at the SBC Center to even the teams' first-round, best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
"Did it work?" Ginobili said of the lineup switch. "Look how happy we are now."
With the next two games of the series in Denver, the Spurs left the sellout crowd of 18,797 in decidedly better spirits than they did Sunday.
Duncan produced his best performance since returning from a 12-game stay on the injured list with 24 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Parker set the tone with his aggressiveness. Brent Barry, who started in place of Ginobili, scored 16 points on seven shots. Ginobili added 17 on seven shots.
The Spurs also cleaned up a few mistakes from Sunday's 93-87 loss: They committed only nine turnovers while limiting Denver to six offensive rebounds.
"You saw a championship basketball team show their pride and heart," Nuggets coach George Karl said.
The Spurs also produced a surprise or two. Devin Brown and Rasho Nesterovic made their long-awaited returns. Ginobili made his unexpected return to the bench.
With the exception of Robert Horry's 12 points, the Spurs received little production from their reserves Sunday. The lineup change also had other benefits: It gave Barry more than the two shots he took Sunday, kept Ginobili out of early foul trouble and allowed the Spurs to keep at least two of their Big Three (Duncan, Parker and Ginobili) on the floor at critical times.
Ginobili's reaction to the change: "He asked to be traded," Popovich joked.
"After one game of the playoffs it was kind of risky to do it," Ginobili said. "But I understood it. It was a very smart move."
Popovich made a similar switch midway through last season to boost Hedo Turkoglu's confidence. While Ginobili played well enough as a reserve to become a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, he made the Western Conference All-Star team as a starter this season.
"I was disappointed last year, but then I was still a little doubtful about my career," Ginobili said. "I didn't know if I belonged here that much.
"This year, I know who I am. I know the team respects me. I know Pop does, too. And I know it's good for the team, so it's no big deal."
The Spurs didn't wait long to see the move pay off. Less than three minutes in, Barry buried a 3-pointer. He made his second a few minutes later.
"I look at it as something we can really exploit," said Barry, who, like Ginobili, was surprised when Popovich announced the change. "Manu's the starting two guard on our team. Everybody in our locker room knows that.
"But what is starting? Just getting your name announced. Big deal. After that it's game time."
Barry wasn't the only Spur who regained his rhythm. After missing 15 of 22 shots Sunday, Duncan went 11 for 15.
In the second quarter, Duncan caught Barry's errant layup attempt below the rim, then jammed it through in one motion. As teammates and fans leaped to their feet, Duncan lingered under the basket, admiring his work.
"It's good to see him getting up off the ground like that," Barry said. "Every play like that, every lob, every follow-up, every big rebound is a confidence-builder for Tim and his ankle."
Parker also rebounded from his Game 1 struggles. He made 7 of 17 shots, only one more than he did Sunday, but finished with 19 points and six assists. More important, he helped limit Nuggets point guard Andre Miller to 11 points, 20 fewer than he scored in the opening game.
"That's Tony," Popovich said. "He's a tough kid."
While Popovich didn't say the lineup change was permanent, Ginobili thinks the results speak for themselves.
"I said if you feel it's going to help us, I'm ready to do it," Ginobili said. "We all have only one goal. That's winning the championship."
Seems like Manu handled the move in a great way.
The Spurs were a frickin' machine tonight. They have to keep up the energy and aggressiveness in Game 3, but this victory was sweet.
its funny that manu gets benched for being so badass and hedo and barry get promoted for playing crappy
how was the crowd kori? were they really rowdy or did they start laughing after awhile?
The crowd was awesome tonight. This was one of the loudest crowds I've heard in a long, long time.
Quit being negative about it.its funny that manu gets benched for being so badass and hedo and barry get promoted for playing crappy
It was a fantastic move.
All of Barry's great games this season, sans the Suns game, were when he started in place of Ginobili.
Id keep this lineup all the way to the end.
Ginobili gets saved for the 4th quarters, Barry gets to play with the first unit and gets to get alot of open shots and run with the big dogs.
This move shoulda been made at the beginning of January.
why thank you.The crowd was awesome tonight
I will take some credit for that
oh yeah if barry starting can get us results like this then im all for it, its just funny how the lineups came about
a deadly barry is muy importante to the lerun
The move is excellent. It slides one of the two slashers (with Parker) into the second unit, while promoting a bomber into the starters, plus the looks Barry gets are better with Duncan on the floor. A seriously great move to make - and, despite what Kenny or others suggested, not one all that liable to have negative consequences, given the characters of the players involved.
Too bad Pop didn't go with this move two months ago when timvp was asking for it.
Better late than never.
BOMBER??? Like in Brent-I can't hit the ocean-Barry.
Pop gets the ONE TRICK PONY COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD!!!
Nice to see you've cooled down, Athenea.
I have to give Pop props for making thise move after all...Athenea's made more posts tonight than she had made all season long when Manu was a starter.
Good job Pop. He knows how to get that hottie argentinian blood flowing.
Yes. Everyone played better tonight. Pop even coached better. The Spurs appeared to take the last loss as a personal insult and used it so productively that it's as if that's the switch they've needed to have pulled all season long. Bravo to everyone in the organization. That was the kind of win that makes you believe the Spurs can do anything.
I'm still mad...from now I'll rely on sarcasm alone.
PS: at least, I'll do my best
Speaking of Manu, he was down sometime in the 2nd qtr. but came back to play later in the game.
Is he 100% okay now?.
We can't afford any injuries right now, you know.
I hated the move when I saw it first announced, but unlike Hedon't, Barry let his nuts hang and produced when called out by his coach. His starting and hitting his shots early forced the Nuggets to scrap the Laker D, thus freeing up the total annihilation from Duncan in the post and the pick and rolls. Barry got called out and the sunuva stepped up.
I hope they will keep this atmosphere for a long time.
Now in game 3 we must jump on those Nuggets early and strongly.
The move worked. Dont't be so hurt Argentinians. I'm sure it's nothing personal towards Manu, just what Pop and the coaching staff thought would give the Spurs the best chance of winning.
Now to me the big question is whether Manu will continue to come of the bench or not. Was this just an experiment or will this be the norm? I'm guessing that Manu will come off the bench in game 3 and Pop will evaluate after that game.
This lineup that is starting should stay through at least series including Nazr who despite not looking for offense had another effective night.
Although its unconventional to put one of your best players off the starting group, this may work best. Great team players like bvarry and Manu can handle it.
Pop took a gigantic risk in being second guessed if it didn't work. It shows you how much confidence he has in his team and how well they respond to his coaching.
John Havlicek did ok coming off the bench.
Barry?????? The starting spot must be hard to swallow...
Wow, Manu is the man. Remember when Iverson said something like "there's no way Iverson is starting at the bench..."
Why are americans so selfish??? (jk)
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