All it took to get Manu Ginobli started was for the Spurs to start him. The one-time Sixth Man of the Year wasn't among the first five in any game this year, but Gregg Popovich inserted him into the lineup and Ginboli immediately ingratiated himself with his coach and teammates. Ginboli began by sinking his - and the game's - inaugural basket, then assisted on San Antonio's next two baskets, on his way to a season-high 24 points, coupled with 10 assists.
The Heat were within striking distance - down four with a little over two minutes left in the third quarter - when Ginboli struck back, by scoring 7 of his squad's subsequent 9 points - and assisting on the other - to build the lead back up to 12. Prior to Ginboli ginormous performance, he was half the Manu he used to be, averaging 7.5 points and shooting 34.5% from the field, but following a pep talk from Pop before game 5, he, ahem, Manued up.
Ginboli, who they weren't aware was on the court during this series, had excellent court awareness on Sunday. He kept finding his teammates for threes as Danny Green swished six to set record for most three-pointers made in the Finals, surpassing the antecedent amount, appropriately, by three. The camera captured Ray Allen, the previous holder of the mark, scratching his head on the Heat's sidelines, looking stupefied and sullen. You could almost hear Allen thinking to himself, "Who the hell is this dead-eyed dude?" The simple answer is: a guy you have to guard 25 feet away from the bucket because Green drained one from there with two defenders on him. The Heat might have to triple-team this tremendous triple-maker. When Green and Ginobli both have great games, that's some serious 'G'-force that the Heat may be helpless to halt.
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