Hands of God

Ginobili saves Spurs with two clutch plays in final minute

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Back in Argentina, the locals still refer to a famous World Cup goal by native soccer star Diego Maradona as "The Hand of God."

After what Spurs guard and native son Emanuel Ginobili did to the Nets in Sunday’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals, they might have to add a "Hands of God" to the local sports folklore.

Ginobili, a 6-foot-6 reserve, used his lightning-quick mitts to make a key steal -- and then added a huge basket seconds later -- to help lift San Antonio to its pivotal 84-79 victory and 2-1 series lead.

"I’m sure they’re going nuts," Ginobili said about the reaction back in his home country, where Manu Mania has hit a fever pitch during these NBA Finals. "I just tried to be in the right spot."

Ginobili’s heroics began with his team ahead 78-75 and just over a minute to play. The Nets were rallying and it was beginning to look like another San Antonio collapse might be in the works. The Meadowlands crowd was roaring like a jet engine at takeoff.

Ginobili, a 25-year-old playmaker with a flair for risky gambles, was off to the side guarding Kerry Kittles when he spotted Nets guard Lucious Harris dribbling toward him. "I saw a pick-and-roll between smalls. I tried to jump it," Ginobili said.

SI.com On Site  Marty Burns: Tim Duncan and Tony Parker grabbed the headlines, but it was Manu Ginobili who made two key plays in the final minute to preserve San Antonio's victory in Game 3. • Click here for more  Analysis and Opinion  • Fast Breaks: Rose's jam lifts Spurs • Picks: Burns | Hollinger | McCallum More Stories  • Game 2: Recap | Box Score • Kidd struggles again in Game 3 • Nets' offense lets them down • Supersubs Rose, Ginobili save Spurs • Teams set mark for 1st-half futility • Notebook: Arena to transform quickly • Ratings down in first two games • No asterisk for this year's champ   Instant Poll  What was your reaction to Game 3? Great defense Terrible offense Some of both Bring back the Lakers View Results

"I saw that they were too close," Ginobili said. "He lost control of the ball for a moment. It was a good play by Jack, and I was able to steal it."

Not only did Ginobili’s heist deny New Jersey a key possession late in the game, but it led to a foul on Tony Parker at the other end. Parker would miss both free throws, but the Spurs -- and Ginobili -- weren’t finished.

Tim Duncan snuck around Nets forward Kenyon Martin to grab the offensive rebound of Parker’s second miss. The Spurs worked the ball around before Parker drove inside and pitched the ball to Ginobili on the baseline. With the shot clock winding down and Martin racing over, the left-handed Ginobili lofted a high-arcing 10-footer that went down for an 80-75 lead with 43.2 seconds left.

"There was no time to hesitate," Ginobili said. "I saw Martin coming so I tried to get the ball up high."

For Ginobili, who finished with eight points, two rebounds, four assists and four steals in 28 minutes, the chance to contribute in a big way to a key Finals victory was what he dreamed about when he decided to sign with the Spurs last summer. A second-round pick in the 1999 draft, he spent the past three seasons playing professionally in Europe. Though he enjoyed great success -- winning consecutive Italian League MVPs -- he wanted to show his skills in the NBA.

In the first two games of this year’s Finals, Ginobili didn’t make a major impact. Like his regular season, which got off to a slow start because of an ankle injury in training camp, he knew it was only a matter of time.

"When I got here, I was so optimistic. So confident," he said Sunday night as a mob of international reporters surrounded his locker. "I didn’t think I’d have to make a lot of adjustments. Just go out there and do my thing."

But the injury, he now admits, prevented him from learning his new team’s system as quickly as he had hoped. He also had to get accustomed to new coaches, new teammates and life in the States. Only now, Ginobili says, is he really starting to feel like he’s truly arrived in the NBA.

"Everything has gone so well so far," he said. "To be up 2-1 in the Finals, I couldn’t ask for more."

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.