The San Antonio Spurs trounced the Los Angeles Lakers 103-84 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday, the National Basketball Association champions reducing the series deficit to 2-1 with a solid home display.
San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (center) is fouled by Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher (right) and forward Ronny Turiaf during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals in San Antonio on Sunday.
Guard Manu Ginobili raised his game to pace the Spurs with 30 points, hitting nine-of-15 shots, including five-of-seven from three-point range.
The Argentine had averaged less than nine points during the first two games of the best-of-seven series, shooting a combined five-of-21 from the floor.
The Spurs squandered a 20-point lead to lose Game 1 in Los Angeles and the Lakers routed them in Game 2.
The Spurs did not want to be in the position of having to make league history by being the first team to come back from an 0-3 hole.
Tim Duncan scored 22, while Tony Parker added 20, giving the Spurs the scoring punch they sorely lacked during the first two games.
"We know we're very important for this team," Ginobili said of the Spurs' high-scoring trio.
"So we know if we play well and aggressively and get everyone involved we are a totally different team.
"I very proud of the comeback we had today."
San Antonio held a nine-point advantage early in the final quarter before reeling off 10 consecutive points to take a 79-60 lead with nine minutes remaining.
Then Kobe Bryant got into the act, almost single-handedly pulling his team out of the hole. He hit four 3-pointers over the course of less than 2 1/2 minutes and his last one brought the Lakers within 12 points, 88-76, with 5 minutes to play. They couldn't get closer.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he enjoyed watching Ginobili, Duncan and Parker come to life after sputtering in Los Angeles.
"When those three guys score like they did tonight it really helps us because usually in our losses we have scoring droughts," he said.
"When all three are clicking that way, it helps everybody."
Bryant led the Lakers with 30 points, hitting 13-of-23 shots from the floor but going to the free-throw line only once.
Paul Gasol added 15 but Lamar Odom struggled all night, finishing 2-of-11 from the field for seven points. However, he had six of the Lakers' 13 assists and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers also struggled at the free-throw line, going just 8-of-17.
"You can't stop Kobe but you want him to work hard for what he gets," said Popovich. "He had to work hard tonight. But he's very dangerous. He scores in so many different ways.
"Everybody feeds off of him so much that you have to at least make him work hard."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said his club was unable to guard Ginobili.
"Those shots he was making, it didn't matter who you put on him," he said.
"Guys were on him defensively. Those were just impossible shots. You just tap the guy on the butt and say, 'Good shot' and come back and play offense.
"That's all you can do in that situation."
Game 4 is in San Antonio tomorrow with the winner of the series advancing to face either the Boston Celtics or Detroit Pistons in the NBA finals. Boston leads that series 2-1.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily May 27, 2008)