Tag: Manu Ginobili

Game rewind: Horrible start to new year in frigid Minneapolis

It would be hard to imagine much worse of a start for the new year than what the Spurs endured Monday night.

The Spurs lost All-Star guard Manu Ginobili for an extended period after he sustained a fractured fifth metacarpal of his left hand. It is Ginobili’s dominant shooting hand.

Making matters worse, a blistering perimeter game by Minnesota catapulted the Timberwolves to a 106-96 victory for the Spurs’ second road loss in as many games.

Here’s a look at how the Wolves punctuated the most successful back-to-back of the team’s recent woeful history after beating Dallas Sunday night.

Game analysis: The Spurs looked old and slow in their defensive rotations as Minnesota blistered them for 87.5 percent 3-point shooting in the first half and cruised to their first victory over them since Jan. 3, 2007. 

Where the game was won: After James Anderson’s 3-pointer pulled the Spurs within 72-65 with 7:38 left in the third quarter, the Timberwolves erupted for 10 straight points to put the game away on a 3-pointer and three assists from Luke Ridnour. The Spurs never came within single digits during the rest of the game.

Player of the game: Kevin Love. The skinnier version of Love looks like he has picked up where he left off during his breakthrough season last year. Love torched the Spurs for 24 points and 15 rebounds, including four 3-pointers.

Player of the game II: Ridnour. His playing time eventually might be impacted with the emergence of Ricky Rubio, but Ridnour expertly directed the Timberwolves’ offense with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and nine assists. He hit his first five shots and then sparked the finishing kick late in the third quarter that put the Spurs away.

Player of the game III: Tim Duncan bounced out of his recent slump to provide a season-best 16 points and five assists. It was his strongest offensive game of the season.

Most unsung: Danny Green. Before Ginobili’s injury, Green might have been expendable when Gary Neal came off injured reserve. But his strong game Monday night and Ginobili’s injury should give him an opportunity to showcase his skills. He made a good first start Monday nbight with nine points, three rebounds and suffocating defense on Rubio in 17 minutes. He was also one of two Spurs to have a postive plus-minus score at plus-1, along with Matt Bonner.

Stat of the game: The Timberwolves shot 57.7 percent from the field and 57.1 percent of their 3-pointers, including 87.5 percent behind the arc in the first half.

Stat of the game II: Minnesota’s starting backcourt of Wesley Johnson and Ridnour combined to shoot 81.3 percent from the field. Wesley Johnson hit all six field-goal attempts and Ridnour went 7 for 10.

Stat of the game III: The Spurs had 30 rebounds against the Timberwolves Monday night. It was their fewest rebounds in game since grabbing 27 against Memphis last March 27.

Weird stat of the game: The Spurs limited Minnesota to 12 points in the fourth quarter. It was the lowest-scoring quarter by a Spurs opponent this season.   

Quote of the game: “He’s pretty important to us. And we lost him. We’ve just got to deal with it,” Spurs coach Gregg  Popovich to reporters after the game on the loss of Ginobili.

How the schedule stacked up: The Spurs rested Sunday before their arrival in Minnesota. The Timberwolves were on the second night of a back-to-back after beating Dallas on Sunday night.

Injuries: Neal sat out his fifth regular-season game of the season with an appendectomy. Ginobili sustained a fractured fifth metacarpal on his left hand late in the second quarter. Minnesota guard Jose Juan Barea missed the game with a strained left hamstring and did not dress. Neither did guard Malcolm Lee, who underwent surgery last week to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He’ll be sidelined indefinitely.

What’s up next: The Spurs return home Wednesday to play Golden State at home, starting a run of six games over the next eight days. Minnesota will face Memphis Wednesday night, starting a run of five games over seven days.

Jefferson transitions to 3-point sniper

MILWAUKEE — When Richard Jefferson arrived in San Antonio in July of 2009, spoils of a trade that remains the boldest gamble of the Spurs’ championship era, coach Gregg Popovich thought he knew what he was getting.

In Jefferson, Popovich envisioned then, the Spurs finally had a do-it-all scoring weapon at small forward.

“His old game was what we wanted,” Popovich said. “He was more of a ‘scorer’ scorer.”

It has taken the better part of two mercurial seasons, and the offseason threat of amnesty, but Jefferson appears to have finally found his niche with the Spurs.

As a 3-point marksman.

Once one of Jason Kidd’s favorite alley-oop targets in New Jersey, Jefferson at age 31 has reinvented himself as the second coming of Steve Kerr.

Heading into tonight’s game at Milwaukee, Jefferson is tied for the NBA lead in 3-pointers made (29) and ranks third in accuracy (58 percent). He is averaging 14.1 points, a big reason the Spurs have gone 3-1 since losing All-Star guard Manu Ginobili to a broken hand Jan. 2.

So far this season, Jefferson has hit multiple 3-pointers in every game but one. He has made at least three in five consecutive games.

“It’s such a long season,” Jefferson said, perhaps trying not to jinx himself. “You look at it, and you don’t want to get too high or too low.”

To those with a passing familiarity of Jefferson’s high-flying past, his newfound proficiency with the 3-ball is like watching Jimi Hendrix take up the cowbell or Van Gogh dabble in finger paints.

Before joining the Spurs this season, point guard T.J. Ford spent his career in the Eastern Conference, facing the old Jefferson.

“He’s made an adjustment,” Ford said. “He was one of the key offensive players in Jersey at one time. The offense was going through him. He came here, and his role changed.”

Jefferson’s success from long range is no fluke. He shot a career-best 44 percent last season, fifth-best in the NBA.

The evolution, from alley-ooper to gunner, did not happen overnight. It was slow, and it was painstaking.

It began here in Milwaukee, where Jefferson set then-career highs in 3-pointers attempted (292) and made (116) the season before he came to San Antonio. That transition only accelerated after he joined the Spurs.

“He’s worked really hard on it with (Spurs shooting coach) Chip Engelland,” Popovich said. “He deserves a lot of credit for spending the time, and Chip deserves a lot of credit for doing the teaching.”

Admittedly, this is not how Popovich imagined Jefferson would contribute when the Spurs traded Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas for him three summers ago.

The first season in San Antonio was a struggle for Jefferson, and for his coaches. Picturing an adaptable, get-to-the-rim scorer along the lines of Sean Elliott, Popovich added new wrinkles to the offense to take advantage of Jefferson’s expected strengths.

There were intricately designed lob plays and calls for him to post up on the block. None of it quite worked.

Unable to mold a new offense around Jefferson, Popovich last season decided to blend Jefferson into the old offense.

The result: Jefferson hit 135 of 307 3-pointers, by any measure his best season from beyond the arc.

“My first year here, I struggled just with the type of shots I was getting, how they were coming,” Jefferson said. “During the summer, I just worked extremely hard on the types of shots that I was getting. And you saw the evolution.”

The goal for Jefferson this season is to continue to evolve.

He began last season almost as hot, averaging nearly 14 points over the first two months before tailing off. Opposing teams had gotten wise to his 3-point act.

“The better you shoot it, the tougher your shots are going to be because teams are going to stop leaving you open,” Jefferson said. “The better you shoot, the harder the game actually gets.”

For now, the Spurs will enjoy Jefferson’s latest scorching streak for what it is — a masterpiece in finger paint.

“You get older, you don’t do the things you used to do,” Ford said. “He’s still a hell of a player.”

Spurs 95, Grizzlies 82 – final

A healthy looking Manu Ginobili scored 24 points to lead the Spurs to a 95-82 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in their season opener on Monday at the ATT Center.

Tony Parker had 15 points. Neither Ginobili nor Parker scored in the first quarter, but both got going later in the first half. The Spurs took the lead for good in the second quarter after struggling with eight turnovers in the first nine minutes of the game.

Richard Jefferson gave the Spurs an offensive spark early and finished with 14 points. Tim Duncan had 10 points.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard made his NBA debut and recorded his first point, basket and rebound. Rookie guard Cory Joseph made his debut in the final two minutes of the game.

Fourth quarter: Spurs call timeout to get all their bench players in. The Spurs lead 92-78 with 1:16 left.

Manu Ginobili has 20 points, five rebounds and four assists. The Spurs lead 86-74 with 4:22 left.

James Anderson finishes a fast break and the Spurs lead 86-72 with 5:39 left. Grizzlies timeout.

Pop calls a timeout after the Grizzlies get an easy basket. The Spurs lead 75-62 with 9:21 left in the game.

Third quarter – Spurs 72, Grizzlies 58: Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have been strong offensively in the second and third quarters. They have combined for 28 points.

Manu Ginobili has 12 points and Tony Parker has 11. Tim Duncan just hit his first shot since 7:22 of the first quarter. The Spurs lead 60-49 with 5:12 left in the third quarter.

Richard Jefferson has 13 points and the Spurs lead 52-49 with 7:18 left in the third quarter. He is shooting 5 of 10. Timeout.

Halftime – Grizzlies 44, Spurs 43: Richard Jefferson leads all scorers with 10 points and Manu Ginobili has nine.

The Spurs have cut down (eliminated) their turnovers in the second quarter. They lead 37-33 with 3:27 left in the first half.

Richard Jefferson is the first Spurs player in double figures this season. He has 10 points. Who had him in the pool? The Spurs lead 30-26 with 6:26 left in the second quarter.

Richard Jefferson hit three straight shots early in the second quarter – one of those a 3-pointer. The Grizzlies lead the Spurs 24-23 with 8:46 left in the half.

The Spurs averaged 13.43 turnovers per game last season. They are on pace to pass that in the second quarter.

First quarter – Grizzlies 22, Spurs 14: The Spurs shoot 26 percent and turn the ball over eight times in the first quarter.

James Anderson and Matt Bonner each hits a 3-pointer off the bench. The Grizzlies lead the Spurs 16-12 with 2:35 left in the first quarter. Tim Duncan is already on the bench with three fouls.

Tim Duncan has two quick baskets and the Spurs are piling up some early fouls. The Grizzlies lead the Spurs 9-6 at the first timeout with 6:41 left in the first quarter.

Spurs starting lineup: point guard Tony Parker, shooting guard Manu Ginobili, small forward Richard Jefferson, power forward Tim Duncan and center DeJuan Blair.

The Spurs at long last open the regular season tonight.

The Spurs play the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m. (Central) at the ATT Center.

Join Jeff McDonald and Tim Griffin for a live game chat (below) beginning at 7 p.m.