Oklahoma City Thunder look to slow Spurs' Manu Ginobili after breakout Game 1 - SportingNews.com

SAN ANTONIO â€" If there was one thing not quite right about the San Antonio Spurs through their perfect performanceâ€"sweeps of the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippersâ€"in the first two rounds of the playoffs, it was that their third-leading scorer, guard Manu Ginobili, wasn’t really along for the ride. He couldn’t seem to find the basket. After shooting 52.6 percent and 41.3 percent on 3-pointers during the regular season, Ginobili was just 30-for-75 (40.0 percent) and 9-for-35 from the arc in the playoffs.

That changed, big-time, to open the Western Conference finals here against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ginobili was 9-for-14 from the field in Game 1, and 3-for-5 from long range. His 26 points were not only the high for the game, but the most he has had in more than a year.

Manu Ginobili was 9-for-14 from the field in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, and 3-for-5 from long range. (AP Photo)

Ginobili couldn’t really come up with a reason for his improvement. “I took the same shots I had been taking, but they just went in,” he said. “It just happened. I don’t know how exactly because I haven’t scored like that all season. But I am happy about it.”

Ginobili’s performance is certainly cause for concern for the Thunder heading into Tuesday’s Game 2. He helped keep San Antonio from getting blown out through the first three quarters (15 points) and led the Spurs with 11 points as they pulled away in the fourth.

One of the key matchups of the series figures to be Ginobili vs. Thunder sixth man James Harden, and with 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting, and four turnovers, Harden came up short. He needs to play better on the offensive end, and the Thunder as a whole have to do more to keep the ball out of Ginobili's hands.

“He is a crafty lefthander,” Harden said. “He gets to the rim. He made plays in the fourth quarter, and we have to do a better job of containing him and make him make passes. We have to control that and come back in Game 2 and be ready.”

Ginobili might not score at the same rate he did in Game 1, but the Spurs know they can count on him being aggressive again, his confidence boosted by how well he played Sunday.

“That’s Manu’s game,” 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 assists somebody else with a pass. That’s what he has done for us his whole career, and it is very important to us. Without that, we have a tough time winning.”