Jun 15, 2007 - 2:10 AM
0 shoutsBy Jeff Brewer PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
CLEVELAND (Ticker) - The Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff motto was, "Rise up!" But it was San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili who rose up and led his squad to an emphatic sweep in the best-of-seven NBA Finals Thursday night.
Ginobili scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to rebound from three-point clunker in Game Three, helping the Spurs rally to an 83-82 win and secure their fourth title in nine seasons.
For his part, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was not surprised.
"(Ginobili) might have a game like he had in Game Three in which a lot doesn't happen," Popovich said. "But tonight, offensively, down the stretch, we went to him a couple of times, called his number in a couple of situations, and again, he's done what he did do many times in Olympic games, in European championships, and in NBA championships. He's just an ultimate competitor."
The Cavaliers scored the first 11 points of the final period to take a 63-60 lead with 6:54 to play. Ginobili proceeded to score 13 of the Spurs' final 23 points as San Antonio completed its title run with a 16-4 mark in the playoffs.
"I knew I was not going to play like Game Three," Ginobili said. "I thought a lot about it, and I was determined to be more aggressive and try to make it to the rim more often."
A second-round pick by San Antonio in 1999, the Argentine has been a part of three championships and was an All-Star in 2005. Asked to explain his team's sustained success, Popovich gave credit to players like Ginobili, who epitomize the team concept.
"People who care about the team more than an individual, and I think it shows in a lot of different ways," he said. "A good example would be Manu, an All-Star, coming off the bench. I'm still amazed he does that."
As he did for all 20 games this postseason, Ginobili came off the bench Thursday and lifted the Spurs after a sluggish start. He averaged 17.8 points in the Finals and shot 10-of-23 from the arc.
"Manu is our X factor," Spurs superstar Tim Duncan said. "Manu is the guy that when it all breaks down, when it all goes bad, when our offense isn't clicking the right way, he's the guy that makes plays. That's his role."
After shooting 0-of-7 from the floor in Game Three, Ginobili sank six free throws inside the final 25 seconds to seal the four-game sweep.
"(Ginobili) has the heart of a lion," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "He's not a guy that, when he gets hit, he's going to stay down. He may get hit, he may fall for a few seconds, and then he's going to bounce back up and he's going to be on the attack."
Backcourt mate Tony Parker, who averaged 24.5 points in the series, was named Finals MVP. Showing his true team-oriented mentality, Ginobili could not be happier.
"Well I think (his MVP) was well-deserved," said Ginobili, who was a two-time MVP in the Italian League. "The way he played in all four games was just unbelievable. He really showed us the way, especially when (Duncan) and me were not playing that good.
"He kind of maintained rhythm and made some big buckets, and he was just a presence inside the court. As I said before, it's really well-deserved."
A legitimate dynasty, the Spurs now need to give Ginobili what he deserves - some extra praise.
