Ginobili proves big off bench again
Web Posted: 05/03/2005 01:00 AM CDT

Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...2386ba99d.html

DENVER — It has been one of the most fascinating dynamics of the Spurs' Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets: The Spurs' use of their two-headed shooting guard combo of Manu Ginobili and Brent Barry.

Coach Gregg Popovich's surprise switch in his starting lineup for Game 2 — Barry for Ginobili — energized the Spurs' bench play, and Barry made Popovich look like a genius by making all four of his 3-point shots.

Popovich stuck with the lineup for Game 3, and Ginobili's inspired play off the bench helped give the Spurs a 2-1 series lead and left Nuggets coach George Karl muttering under his breath about Ginobili's style ruining the beauty of the game.

So Barry was back on the court at the start of Monday's Game 4 at the Pepsi Center, Ginobili biding his time on the bench, entirely willing to re-adjust to the pace of the game.

Game 4 failed to produce spectacular shooting from either of the two Spurs sharing the position, certainly nothing like Barry's 4 for 4 from 3-point range of Game 2 or Ginobili's 32-point explosion in Game 3. But their combined effort was solid, and not likely to prompt Popovich to change his mind about the way he has used them.

And Ginobili, the newly minted backup, again came up with some of the biggest plays of the Spurs' dramatic, 126-115 overtime victory that gave them a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. He finished with 24 points, making a key 3-pointer in the overtime period.

With the game on the line in regulation, Ginobili's drive for a teardrop layin to give the Spurs a 105-103 lead with 1:37 remaining. His pass to Tony Parker with 30 seconds left produced an open jumper for a basket that pushed the Spurs back in front, 107-105.

Barry was watching from the bench in crunch time, content to let his "backup" finish up, though he was back in the game for the final 14.4 seconds of regulation, the score tied. And he re-entered in overtime after Tim Duncan fouled out, and was on the court at the finish, the kind of reliable foul shooter needed for such cir stance.

Popovich used both players on the floor at the same time for two separate stretches of the half and for most of the final six minutes of the third period, during which the Spurs opened a lead as large as 12 points. Ginobili scored nine points in the quarter. Barry had only three points in the period, two of them off a slick pass from Ginobili, who has warmed to his off-the-bench role and understands he is going to play his typical regimen of minutes.

"My job now is coming from the bench and changing the pace of the game and being aggressive, and that's what I try to do," Ginobili said. "I've just got to come in and produce. Be aggressive and attack. That's my different mentality."

It is nothing new for Ginobili. Popovich did the same thing last season to get the kind of spark off the bench the Spurs had not been getting from Hedo Turkoglu.

"That is basically what I used to do," Ginobili said. "But the NBA many times — not so much the playoffs — starts a little slow, so players get used to it. I can't do that."

Barry said starting the game allowed him to focus on the primary defensive goal of the Spurs in the series: Slowing the Nuggets' fast break.

"When Tony is driving or Tim is shooting a shot or Bruce is getting a corner three, my one responsibility is just to pull back, be at half court and catch whoever is trying to run out on the fly," Barry said. "That's how we have to establish the game, and the last game we didn't get off to a good defensive start. We let them penetrate and get to the lane and score some easy baskets and get some early confidence."