Season 49, Game 44
San Antonio 108, Los Angeles Lakers 95
38-6, 2nd in the West

On a night lacking in energy–and in a game where energy alone would be enough to win–it was two “old guys” that sparked the Spurs, lifting them past the Lakers.

I don’t want to live in a world where I can no longer root for Manu Ginobili in a Spurs’ uniform. Sadly, that day is rapidly approaching, so let’s treasure every performance he gives us. Manu’s energy was off the chart Friday night, and it showed in his box score: 20 points on 9-10 shooting, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks, all in a tidy 19 minutes. That’s the very model of efficiency.

Once again, the Spurs started a bit slow, and it was Manu’s infectious energy off the bench that kicked the team into gear. Pop did an interesting thing with the rotation last night, playing the core of the bench unit (Manu, Patty, and Boris) for almost 12 straight minute of game time, from roughly the 6-minute mark of the 1st to the 6-minute mark of the 2nd. You rarely see Pop play his players in spurts like that.

Later in the game, when the Lakers were hanging around and threatening to make the game interesting, Rasual Butler gave the team great effort off the bench to help push the game out of reach. He was surprisingly aggressive (by his standards) looking for his shot, going 3-4 for 7 important points. He also chipped in a couple of rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. But it was more his tenacity and competitive spirit that drove the team. The way he competes on both ends of the floor is impressive, especially considering his role as the (often) 13th man on the bench.

It speaks to the Spurs’ monster depth, that the 13th man on the bench can come in and help put a game away. It’s nice that on any given night, Pop might get huge minutes from just about anybody. Butler is a veteran and true professional who knows his role on this team. Much like Bonner, he is always prepared when his number is called, and it’s clear the coaching staff trusts him to bring energy no matter the game or situation.

Playing the lackluster Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back with Golden State looming is the perfect situation for this type of energy off the bench. Luckily, the Spurs have it in spades.

Up next, the game we’ve all been waiting for: Spurs vs. Warriors. I can’t wait to see how these two teams match-up, but I have a bad feeling about this game. Everyone is so hyped for it, I think it will be a bit of a letdown. I also think the Warriors win. (And I don’t mind if they do.)

The two teams play 4 times in the next few months, including two huge games in the last week of the season. I don’t think either team will want to show too much in this game, so I expect it to be pretty by the book. No fancy schemes, no crazy cross matches. I think Pop wants to see how the teams fare straight up before tinkering around with potential countermoves and special schemes.

Either way, it’s still the best two teams in the league squaring off, which should make it a high quality basketball game.

Go Spurs Go.