SAN ANTONIO — In the Western Conference Finals, one thing was clear entering Game 3 — if the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili was a non-factor, the series was essentially over. And it was clear just minutes after Ginobili entered Game 3 — he would be the deciding factor.
After making just five field goals in the first two games combined, he made five 3-pointers in the first half alone, propelling the Spurs to a 103-84 win tonight, preventing the Lakers from leaping to a 3-0 series lead.
For the night, Ginobili finished with a team-high 30 points, including a pump-fake fadeway 3, with the shot clock about to buzz.
And suddenly, we’ve got ourselves a series.
The Lakers stormed into San Antonio after two statement victories — a miraculous comeback and a bludgeoning — but on Sunday, they were subservient to the defending champs at a raucous AT&T Center.
NBA MVP Kobe Bryant, the Lakers’ torchbearer this postseason, tallied Kobesque statistics on the night — 30 points — but he was unable to take over the game they way he has earlier in the postseason, be it against the Nuggets or Utah Jazz.
And whereas the Lakers’ supporting cast earned praise in the first two games, they were the reason the Lakers lost on Sunday. The next-highest scorer was Pau Gasol with 15 points. And the Lakers finished with only 10 assists. San Antonio had 22.
Spurs center Tim Duncan, that playoff lifer, continued to post big numbers against the Lakers in this series, whether or not his team did. In Game 3, Duncan finished with 22 points, 20 rebounds and five assists, commanding the paint. When he shot free throws in the fourth quarter, the Spurs fans chanted “M-V-P!” the way Lakers fans do for Bryant. And, really, he arguably wasn’t even the MVP of his team on tonight.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
