Manu Ginobili’s 2008 double-overtime finisher over the Suns deserves a deep rewind

Manu Ginobili’s 2008 double-overtime finisher over the Suns deserves a deep rewind

– [Narrator] It’s April 19, 2008. We’re in San Antonio for the opening round matchup between the hometown Spurs and visiting Phoenix Suns. You couldn’t ask for a more thrilling game one. And no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. We’re in double overtime. Tied at 115 with little time to play, these Spurs fans clinging on to the edge of their seats are hoping things can end on this possession. If not, we’re in store for another quarter of extra hoops. But before we see what comes next, how the hell did the game even reach this point? To find out, let’s rewind. (quiet ominous music) Tied at 115 in double OT maybe isn’t the most ideal spot to be in, but damn are the Suns close to stealing this game one on the road. A win here would not only set the tone for the series, but it’ll be Phoenix’s first strike at revenge against their known enemy. This is the fifth time this decade that the Spurs and Suns have met in the postseason, and San Antonio has smoked Phoenix nearly every time. Getting packed up year after year by the same team is a trash feeling, and last season’s semi-final loss hit even harder. In a testy six-game series that many journalists dubbed as the "real NBA finals", the Suns kind of got screwed on multiple occasions. Down a point late in game one, star Point Guard Steve Nash, who had been cooking all matchup, had to hit the bench with his nose gushing blood following a nasty headbutt. After getting bandaged up, Nash fought through the pain, keeping his team in contention, but ultimately had to watch his squad lose from the sideline. After splitting the next two, the turning point came in game four. Late in that matchup, Spurs Forward Robert Horry caught Nash with a nasty hip check and chaos ensued, notably with Phoenix players Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw clearing the bench. Phoenix got the win and tied the series, but entered game five without two of their key players, as Stoudemire and Diaw got suspended for their actions in the previous game. The decision was extremely controversial, especially in a tight series. Media members were outraged over a pointless ruling in which Stoudemire and Diaw only tried to protect their teammate. To make matters worse, the Suns still almost pulled off a win in a close game five. But the damage had been done and the Spurs won the series in six before going on to win the NBA finals, a championship that journalists stand by could have just as easily gone to Phoenix if they weren’t robbed against San Antonio. That series might have unfairly been taken away from Phoenix, but the team still had issues of their own. Since the ’04-’05 season under head coach Mike D’Antoni, the Suns took the league by storm with a revolutionary fast-paced offense dubbed "seven seconds or less". The system was a massive success, but in the postseason, Phoenix couldn’t simply outgun opponents, often getting exposed defensively, especially on the inside. Flaming out in the playoffs constantly called for a change. Phoenix entered this season with their roster mainly intact, plus the addition of veteran Grant Hill in the off-season. But despite hitting February holding the best record in the conference, the team’s defensive problems were still apparent. In an attempt to shore up their interior, new General Manager Steve Kerr swung a blockbuster trade, acquiring Shaquille O’Neal near the all-star break. The move generated mixed reactions, as their highly successful system relied on pace and Shaq wasn’t the type of dude to run the floor. Yet it was that very same system and lack of defense that got Phoenix bounced from the playoffs often. Getting Shaq was a move aimed at the postseason to slow down big men in the paint, like Spurs Forward Tim Duncan. The Suns initially had growing pains fitting the big fella in the lineup, but once things got rolling, Shaq provided Phoenix with fresh versatility and reenergized the team. The Suns finished the year with 55 wins, earning the sixth seed in the loaded West. Experts believed the Suns could finally execute their revenge over the Spurs. Phoenix was just one game behind San Antonio, and they were the only Western conference team with a winning record against the defending champs. Plus, with the addition of Shaq, Phoenix no longer got bullied down low. And for the majority of this opener, media members looked spot on. The Suns controlled the game for the first three quarters, leading by as many as 16, even with Shaq sitting early because of foul trouble. Phoenix didn’t lose their lead until late in the fourth quarter, but found themselves right back on top following a layup by Leandro Barbosa to put ’em up three with a little over a minute to play. After a few scoreless possessions, Spurs Forward Michael Finley got himself free down low and drilled a tray with 15 seconds left to tie the game and ultimately send it to overtime. And here we are in double OT. The Spurs clawed their way back and can close this thing out with a bucket, but none of it would be possible without this dude, Tim Duncan. Timmy has put on a vintage performance for most of this game, but the Spurs are here in another overtime because he pulled off the unexpected. Over the past decade, the Spurs as a franchise have been the epitome of success, largely thanks to their nonchalant superstar. Since entering the league in ’97, Duncan has helped lead San Antonio to four championships, securing finals MVP in three of them. Unlike Phoenix’s fast-paced system, San Antonio ran their offense through Duncan’s elite post game, working things inside out, surrounding him with snipers on the outside to knock down shots. Unfortunately for Phoenix, they witnessed Timmy’s dominance up close and personal multiple times. The only series when the Suns got over the Spurs came in 2000, with Duncan out because of a knee injury. But in this year’s matchup, Duncan was healthy and did his usual work in the paint. Post up back to the basket off one dribble, slight work. Spin move and finish with the left-hand lay, too easy! Duncan entered the fourth already with a double-double and didn’t stop there. Down the stretch of the final quarter, Timmy played a key role in cutting into Phoenix’s lead, knocking down shots and hitting the open man when he drew extra attention down low. As impressive as that was for Timmy, he fully put the team on his back during the first overtime period. Down four with a little under three minutes to play, the Suns and Spurs traded baskets, but Duncan kept San Antonio within striking distance and hit a tough runner over Shaq to bring the Spurs within three with a minute left to play. It was Duncan’s sixth point of the period and he hit nearly everything around the rim, but earlier the Suns showed they weren’t afraid of his outside shooting as they purposely sagged off him when he drilled an 18-footer on the previous shot. Following turnovers on both sides within the final minute, San Antonio got the ball with 12 seconds to play, still in need of a three to stay alive. After a timeout, the Spurs inbounded the ball and worked it near the top of the key, driving toward the paint before kicking it out to Duncan, wide open behind the arc. Timmy isn’t a three-point shooter. The dude barely attempts them and is shooting 0% from deep this season. It’s why Phoenix dared him to shoot earlier in overtime. With a rock, Duncan hesitated, pulled back and fired a bomb to tie the game at 104 with three seconds to play. San Antonio would not be here without that unreal three from Duncan. He’s dropped a 40 ball and is the main reason they’re still alive, but I don’t think he’s gonna have the chance to close this thing out. With the clock running down, Phoenix has him doubled down low. San Antonio has to look to someone else. Well, this dude handling the ball and gunning toward the rim is Manu Ginobili. What’s his deal? The Spurs drafted Argentinian Guard Manu Ginobili 57th overall in the 1999 draft. As an unknown prospect, announcers butchered the pronunciation of his name during San Antonio’s selection. Shit, even Ginobili was shocked he got drafted! San Antonio wanted to keep their championship roster intact and stashed Manu overseas where he balled out in the Italian league. When the Spurs brought him stateside in 2002, Ginobili came with hype, but his teammates, including Duncan, weren’t ready to fully buy in. Even worse, his head coach Greg Popovich initially wanted nothing to do with him. Pop ran a tight ship that emphasized order and discipline on the floor, which wasn’t Manu’s style. He played to the beat of his drum, jacking up shots early, and trying to make highlight plays, all things that infuriated Pop to the point where he believed Manu was uncoachable. Manu struggled transitioning to the NBA at first, but once Pop realized his chaotic play style could benefit the team, it all clicked. Manu mostly operated off the bench and became a consistent part of San Antonio’s rotation, playing a crucial role in the franchise’s championship runs. Several teams had issues containing Manu, but he always seemed to get off against the Suns. In 2005, he dropped a career high of 48 points on the road in Phoenix. In last season’s playoff dual, he nearly dropped a triple dub in San Antonio’s closeout game six. Entering this season, San Antonio leaned on him even more. Manu played career high minutes and with the extra time on the floor, his stats ballooned across the board as he finished the season as the front runner to win Sixth Man of the Year. In today’s game against Phoenix, Manu’s numbers didn’t pop off the page, but he found his spots at the cup. He catches teams off guard, playing at an awkward pace, slinking past defenders before turning on the jets and finishing with ease at the rim. It’s Manu’s quick on-and-off speed that drew two defenders toward the basket in that first overtime period, leaving Timmy wide open, where he found them for the game time three. While Duncan kept San Antonio alive, Manu took the reins in double OT. With the game tied at 112 with a little over a minute and a half to play, Manu hit his third bucket of the period, again flashing his quickness downhill, going right at Shaq to knock down a silky layup off the glass, giving San Antonio the lead. Things nearly appeared to be over late when the Suns were forced to intentionally foul Spurs Forward Brent Berry. He hit one of two free throws to extend San Antonio’s lead to three with 19 to play. But following a timeout on the other end of the court, Phoenix drew up a play to find Nash in the corner, where he nailed a crazy off-balance three to tie it up at 115-all, which brings us here. After a rollercoaster game of mostly being in control, getting hit with a stunning three, and appearing dead in the water late, the Suns can still strike the revenge if they get a stop here and send this to triple overtime. For the Spurs, none of this would be possible without Duncan carrying the team and draining a highly unlikely shot. But his hands are tied right now. To avoid a pivotal opening loss at home, San Antonio is turning to Ginobili, a dude who didn’t fit the Spurs’ ethos at a point but worked his way into a vital role. It could all come down to this. Welcome to a moment in history. – [Announcer] Ginobili to the basket. Puts it up. Banks it in! With 1.8 remaining, Phoenix has no timeouts left. Inbound, Nash. Puts it out. It’s over. The Spurs win in double overtime! (crowd cheers and applauds) (no audio) (harmonic computer tone) – [Narrator] Yo! Thanks for watching this episode of Rewinder. If you want to know more about those seven-seconds-or-less Suns, check out this vid. Or if you want to get deeper into Manu almost failing early on, we got the perfect video for you. Don’t forget to like and subscribe and keep on coming back. (futuristic electronic music)

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This can’t keep happening to the Phoenix Suns.

This is the fifth time this decade Phoneix has faced off against the San Antonio Spurs in the postseason and the Spurs have packed them up nearly every time. But tonight, tied at 115 in double overtime with little time to play, Phoenix has the chance to steal Game One on the road and set the tone for the series. As San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili barrels toward the rim, all they need is a stop.

But how the hell did we end up in double OT in the first place? With so much history between these teams, the Suns going through a new transformation adding Shaq this season, and a wild back-and-forth game with highly unpredictable moments… we’re gonna have to rewind.

Written and produced by Joe Ali
Edited by Brian Torres

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