Season 49, Game 62
San Antonio 104, Sacramento 94
53-9, 2nd in the West

Sometimes I wonder if Pop does things just to see how difficult he can make it before the team is actually in jeopardy of losing a game. Let’s sit Duncan, he’s old and we have a difficult stretch of games. Oooh, then let’s sit Green, because he’s played a lot this season, even if he is in the prime of his career and in great shape. LaMarcus has a headache? Sit him, too. (I fully believe that LaMarcus had a migraine and was unable to effectively play, but I also believe that Pop and the Spurs would never ever try to push a player in a 50/50 situation. The Spurs give cover to players who have good reason to sit games without shame, while other organizations do not.)

Of course, when the opponent is the Sacramento Kings, it (apparently) takes a lot more than that to push Pop and the Spurs. The Kings are the ultimate ‘one step up and two steps back’ team, and whatever handicap the Spurs can place on themselves, the Kings can do at least one better just by virtue of being the Kings.

Prior to the game starting, my thought was: this is a great opportunity for Kawhi. To be a true superstar, you not only have to elevate your team, but you have to be able to carry them through difficult stretches. The Spurs are wholly unique in that the weight of the team is fairly evenly distributed throughout the roster, allowing them to better withstand the loss of any one player. But Kawhi is clearly the biggest foundational piece, and losing Duncan, Green, and Aldridge puts a lot of pressure on him.

While his numbers weren’t great, Kawhi had a definitive “superstar guts his way to a victory” game. He only shot 9-24 – a ghastly number for Leonard – but he kept attacking and attacking, and eventually enough of his shots fell to keep the Kings at bay as they made their final push. And when he couldn’t quite find his rhythm in the game, he willed himself into the game with his unrelenting energy, attacking the boards and setting up teammates, finishing with 13 rebounds and 6 assists.

Photo credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, we know who the true hero of the game was: Manu Ginobili. Whenever I think about what happened to him, I feel sympathy pangs ‘down there’. (Every single male reading this knows what I’m talking about.) I can’t even imagine what he went through. To come back so quickly is miraculous. To come back so quickly and play like this is nothing short of magic.

We all know Manu possesses some level of magic, though. If ‘heart’ could be personified, it would wear #20 in the silver and black. The man is truly fearless in the game of basketball, and would do anything to win a championship, a series, a game, or a loose ball in the 2nd quarter of a March game against the Kings.

Ironically, it’s this attribute that made us most worried: will he still play the same way? And should he?

He answered those questions with a dismissive wave of the hand about two minutes into his first stint.

Manu was back, same as he ever was. It was so good to see him out there, and you realize how much he does for this team on every level. He just makes everything fit when he is on the court. Every other player can slide comfortably into their most proficient and comfortable role because Manu allows it to happen.

The 22 points (a season high, naturally) were a nice surprise. It was everything else that mattered more, though. The Spurs had two really strong pushes, and both were headlined by the presence of Manu. Without Manu, the Spurs probably lose this game, as no one else had a particularly great game. With Manu on the court, though, everybody else was good enough.

And, of course, it was the Kings. Pop would have to do a lot more to lose to the Kings in San Antonio.

The Spurs are in Indiana tonight to start a challenging road back-to-back, finishing up Tuesday in Minnesota.

Go Spurs Go.