NBA M3 - Chapter 574: Not Unbeatable, with Plenty of Room to Grow (Patreon)

The bench units faced off. Ginobili was going up against Curry and Klay, a backcourt combination that had impressed fans since the start of the new season.

From the perspective of the Phoenix crowd, there was no question who should win that matchup. Curry and Klay had the edge, so the Suns were supposed to come out ahead during this rotation.

The game resumed. Ginobili brought the ball up and passed to Gary Neal, who drove against Curry before kicking it back out to Ginobili beyond the arc. Manu faked a pass, then rose for three.

“Swish!”

The shot dropped straight through. A clean three-pointer from Ginobili.

On the next possession, Curry brought the ball up against Manu and looked to answer him one-on-one.

He couldn't find a good opening, so Klay Thompson came over to set a screen. Curry turned the corner, reached the right side of the arc, and prepared to shoot. Wide open?

Not quite. Danny Green closed the distance before Curry could get the shot away and contested it.

“Clang!”

The ball bounced off the rim. On the following possession, Green stopped Curry's drive as well. Two straight possessions, and he had shut Curry down both times.

“That's some tough defense!” Curry narrowed his eyes. Having felt just how tenacious Green could be, he stopped forcing his own shot. Instead, he drove to draw the defense and swung the ball to Klay in the corner.

“Whoosh!”

Klay rose for three, but Ginobili rotated over in time to challenge him. The rookie's shot caught iron and bounced out.

San Antonio pushed the pace immediately. “Whoosh!” Ginobili raced upcourt with the ball, charging toward the basket so quickly that he hardly looked like a 34-year-old veteran.

Carter hurried alongside him on the wing, his face tense as he tried to figure out how to stop the break.

Then, without even looking back, Ginobili whipped a pass behind him. It found Danny Green perfectly as he arrived at the left side of the arc.

“Whoosh!”

Green caught the ball and launched a three. It sailed through the air in a graceful arc.

“Swish!”

Nothing but net.

“Wow!” Jon Barry exclaimed. “The Spurs' reserves are beating the Suns at both ends of the floor.

“They're even getting the better of Curry and Klay, the same duo that's been so impressive in Phoenix's rotations lately. That's unbelievable! What's happening here?”

“Uh...” Mark Jackson looked just as surprised. He couldn't immediately explain it either. The two exchanged a glance and decided to keep watching.

Over the next five minutes and eleven seconds of reserve play, San Antonio kept the Suns under pressure.

The Spurs erased their three-point deficit and then surged into a seven-point lead. Their bench had outscored Phoenix's by ten points in that stretch.

“Beep! Beep!”

Gentry called timeout.

“Man, the Spurs' bench is something else,” Jon Barry said, clicking his tongue. “To push the Suns' reserves around like that, you'd think they were a gang of outlaws.”

“They are,” Mark Jackson agreed. “Both teams have dangerous bench units, but tonight San Antonio's is the more ruthless of the two. And I think I've figured out why. There are three reasons.

“First, the Spurs play team basketball. Under Popovich, players like Neal, Splitter, and Green, who starts for them, may not be household names. But they keep the ball moving and work together so well that someone usually gets a quality look.

“Second, there's Ginobili. He raises the entire level of San Antonio's second unit. He started last season and comes off the bench this year.

“It sounds strange that Curry and Klay, such an exciting young backcourt, would struggle against an aging veteran who's moved to a reserve role. But don't mistake that move for a sign that Ginobili is declining.

“Manu is the kind of player who only gets craftier with age. Popovich trusts him to lead the reserves and provide the scoring punch that keeps San Antonio dangerous even when the starters sit.

“It's the same principle behind Phoenix bringing Curry on at the start of the second quarter. Tonight, though, the Spurs have better teamwork and a Ginobili who's as tricky as ever. That's why they're winning the bench battle.

“And third, Curry is only in his third season, while Klay is a rookie. As strong as that backcourt can be, they're still young. Against a Spurs team that's just as talented and far more experienced, they've had trouble keeping up.”

“Exactly.” Jon Barry nodded. “They're dealing with Manu, one of the Spurs' GDP trio, and Danny Green, a legitimate 3-and-D player who can contribute at both ends.

“You can understand why Curry, Klay, and an aging Carter haven't been able to win that matchup tonight. These young guards still have a lot of growing to do.

“But the Suns don't need to panic just because they're down seven. Phoenix is strongest with Blake, ‘The Emperor,’ leading its starters. As for who wins tonight, that remains anyone's guess. We'll find out as the game goes on.”