Manu Ginobili went from stagnant to stupendous on Sunday, dropping 30 points on Los Angeles despite a sore ankle and ripped fingernail as the San Antonio Spurs showed why they are the defending NBA champs with a 103-84 spanking of the upstart Lakers.
"He is such a competitor," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. "He puts so much on his shoulders, he fights through a lot of things. ... He's got a lot of confidence in what he can do."
Ginobili hit five of the Spurs’10 3-pointers and got to the rim a few times to keep the defending champions from falling into an 0-3 hole, which no NBA team has ever overcome.
"I was too stagnant in the first two games," said Ginobili, the league's top sixth man who came off the bench on Sunday. "I didn't feel like I was being me. ... I made the first shots. I felt good. And then it was easier for me."
Tim Duncan had 22 points, 21 rebounds and five assists, and Tony Parker added 20 points and five assists for the Spurs, who remained unbeaten at home this postseason.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 30 points and Pau Gasol scored 15.
"It's a good experience for us to play against the defending champs and have them kick our butts the way they did," Bryant said. "I think we grew up a lot tonight."
Laker Lamar Odom struggled all night, finishing 2-of-11 from the field for seven points. But he had six of the Lakers’13 assists and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Tuesday in San Antonio.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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