Manu's return hits the mark: Ginobili records season-high nine assists in easy victory

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Web Posted: 12/05/2006 12:28 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer

It took Manu Ginobili exactly 18 seconds to prove to nearly everyone inside the AT&T Center on Monday night that he is back, good as new, after missing four games with a bruised lower back.

Entering the Spurs' game against the Golden State Warriors with 2:48 remaining in the first quarter, it took Ginobili only 10 seconds to rebound a missed shot by forward Mickael Pietrus. It took only an additional eight for him to bring the ball upcourt and fire a perfect lob to Francisco Elson for a dunk that gave the Spurs a 15-point lead.

Spurs fans who had been holding their breath waiting to see whether Ginobili would return as the reckless playmaker whose game energizes his team exhaled.

Ginobili's coach will wait a while before buying into Ginobili's full recovery.

"I wouldn't say he's (100 percent) right now," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's a time where he's probably got to play through some things."

Ginobili disputed Popovich's assessment of his physical condition.

"I am 100 percent," Ginobili said, smiling broadly. "I wanted to play more, but I understand his concern. He doesn't want me to get hurt again and miss another (four) games, so I understand his point. I wanted to play 25 (minutes), something like that. We'll see next game."

Ginobili admitted playing cautiously in his first stint on the court Monday, holding back from driving to the basket until overcoming a twinge of fear about his sore back.

During his second run of the game, he was back to that, too.

"As I couldn't go to the basket so hard — I was a little bit scared — I tried to just penetrate and kick," he said.

Ginobili had nine assists, his season high. He even tried to help teammate Brent Barry turn back the clock to 1996, when he won the All-Star weekend slam dunk contest at the Alamodome.

Stealing a pass by Warriors rookie Patrick O'Bryant, Ginobili started a fast break with a wraparound dribble around Golden State's Keith McLeod, then lobbed a long pass for Barry, streaking down the other side of the court.

Barry mistimed his jump, so a dunk was out of the question, but he tossed in a layup.

"I thought he was going to jump a little higher, so it could make a better play," Ginobili said. "I thought I was going to see the slam dunk champion Brent Barry, but it was a really ugly layup."

Barry said it was no coincidence that the Spurs moved the ball better Monday with Ginobili back, even in limited minutes.

"Obviously, ball movement with him — something we've been talking about for a while — is going to improve once he gets in shape," said Barry, who had 18 points in just 19 off-the-bench minutes, most of them when Ginobili also was on the court.

Though he tried, unsuccessfully, to talk Popovich into giving him more court time, Ginobili was happy just to be suited up and playing.

"I just felt so happy to be there," Ginobili said. "I was tired of watching the games. I felt like I was ready and wanted to try."