SAN ANTONIO — In the Western Conference finals, it was clear entering Game 3: If the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili was a nonfactor, the series was essentially over. And it was clear just minutes after Ginobili entered Game 3: He would be the deciding factor.
In San Antonio’s 103-84 win against the Lakers, Ginobili sank five 3-pointers, after making just five field goals in the first two games combined.
With “a spur in his hind,” as Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, Ginobili scored a team-high 30 points, and, suddenly, we’ve got ourselves a series. The Spurs now trail 2-1, Game 4 is in San Antonio on Tuesday, and if the crowd is even close to being as rowdy as it was Sunday, the defending champs will have a deafening advantage.
“The crowd gives us that extra energy,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said.
The Lakers stormed into San Antonio after two statement victories — a miraculous comeback and a blowout — but Sunday, they were rattled.
“We weren’t able to elevate our defensive energy to match the speed of their game,” Lakers guard and NBA MVP Kobe Bryant said.
As if a puppeteer were pulling the strings from the rafters, the Spurs’ offense was efficient and swift. The result was 10 3-pointers on 18 attempts, a 55.6 percentage, which was even better than the Spurs’ impressive 51.4 overall percentage from the field.
Ginobili has been bothered by an ankle injury this series, but he insisted that the pain in Game 3 was just as painful as in Games 1 and 2. But in those games, watching him play was painful. In Game 3, it was a delight.
Just three minutes after he entered the game, the winner of the NBA’s sixth-man award splashed two consecutive 3-pointers, and the 18,797 at AT&T Center let out a sigh of relief.
It was Manu being Manu.
“In the first two games, I didn’t feel like I was being me,” said Ginobili, who made all five 3s by halftime, when the Spurs led 49-39. “That’s why I wanted to really attack the rim and play aggressively.”
Like Ginobili, Bryant also tallied 30 points, but he was unable to take over the game the way he often does. And his supporting cast, praised for its play in Games 1 and 2, was troublesome with a capital “T.”
The second-highest scorer was Pau Gasol with 15 points. The other three starters combined for 18 points, and the Lakers finished with only 13 assists.
As for his ineffective frontcourt, Jackson said: “I think they weren’t decisive on what they wanted to get done. They had their opportunities and missed some layups. Things just didn’t go well.”
Meanwhile, Spurs center Tim Duncan, that playoff lifer, continued to post big numbers against the Lakers in this series. On Sunday, Duncan finished with 22 points, 21 rebounds and five assists, commanding the paint.
When Duncan shot free throws in the fourth quarter, the Spurs fans chanted “M-V-P!” the way Lakers fans do for Bryant. But, really, it’s arguable whether he even was the Spurs’ MVP on Sunday.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
