All Gregg Popovich wanted was a little punch from the bench. The coach of the San Antonio Spurs got just that and more.
In the NBA playoffs, where the most subtle adjustments can mean the biggest gains, Popovich’s benching of veteran guard Manu Ginobili is paying huge dividends by bolstering a previously shaky bench.
Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, San Antonio’s bench stole the show and all but won Game 3 for the Spurs.
When the Spurs needed it most, they got key production from their reserves. With a game-high 32 points, Ginobili was the clear star. But Robert Horry, Beno Udrih and Rasho Nesterovic also played significant roles.
“If you have four of your starters not playing well and you manage to win anyway, that says a lot about how you play,” Ginobili said after the Spurs took control of the series with an 86-78 victory over the Nuggets.
San Antonio finished with 53 points and 21 rebounds from its bench, but the quarter splits give a more detailed story about what wrong for Denver.
The Spurs’ bench scored 14 of their 24 first-quarter points and had nine of their 17 first-quarter rebounds. At the half, San Antonio’s bench had scored 32 of the team’s 50 points and grabbed 15 of its 26 rebounds. Ginobili had 19 first-half points in just 16 minutes.
With Tim Duncan in foul trouble for much of the first half, San Antonio still managed to outscore Denver 25-16 with him out of the game. Contained within that spurt was a 16-4 run that lifted the Spurs to a 26-20 lead.
The bench players not only got San Antonio off to a good start but spearheaded the effort to stave off a Denver fourth-quarter charge.
The Nuggets drew to within 67-65 and streaked down the court on a rare Denver fast break. But Udrih baited Miller into a charging call that prevented the Nuggets from tying the score and they wouldn’t get that close again.
Horry, known as one of the great clutch players in recent NBA history, stepped up with two 3-point baskets that stole back momentum. With 6:38 left, after San Antonio missed a shot, Horry stole ‘s pass and then dribbled out to beyond the 3-point line. His bucket gave the Spurs a 72-65 lead. Horry hit another 3-pointer with 5:55 left that stretched the San Antonio lead to 75-65.
“Horry was super for us at both ends of the court,” Popovich said. “He played a great all-around game.”
Ginobili hit a key 3-pointer with just two minutes left. Horry scored 13 points and Udrih chipped in six. Nesterovic had just two points, but he grabbed seven rebounds and played unexpected minutes on an injured ankle.
“It’s very important for us to be huge,” Horry said. “It’s up to our bench to come out and contribute. If we can contribute, then we usually will have good outcomes.”
