Una ultima vez: Looking back at Manu Ginobili's last miracle
Manu Ginobili's retirement Monday brought one of the most incredible careers the NBA has ever seen to a close - and it's only fitting that the 41-year-old left the sport on the heels of one final sensational playoff showing.
Ginobili recorded the last of his 132 career postseason wins just over four months ago, in Game 4 of the Spurs' first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. Staring down the barrel of a second straight sweep, Ginobili willed his side to victory with a gutsy showing that serves to remind fans what type of competitor he was.
Tim Duncan was long gone. LaMarcus Aldridge was woefully inadequate at filling Duncan's shoes. Tony Parker was unplayable. Kawhi Leonard remained conspicuously absent. Gregg Popovich was away on bereavement. Ginobili was the only one who could save the San Antonio Spurs.
And so Ginobili performed one last miracle before Eurostepping into the sunset. The four-time NBA champion mustered everything he had left to deliver a 16-point performance - outplaying Draymond Green and Klay Thompson along the way - and a 103-90 win in his final home game.
Golden State was sluggish to start while San Antonio's supporting pieces were firing on all cylinders, so Ginobili opened the game as a distributor. He expertly worked the high screen to feed Aldridge at the basket and found Dejounte Murray and Pau Gasol for corner threes. San Antonio led by 14 at halftime.
The Warriors, of course, mounted a comeback. Kevin Durant caught fire and quickly cut the lead to single digits. Golden State went for the kill with one of its signature third-quarter onslaughts, and San Antonio suddenly found itself on the brink of elimination.
Interim coach Ettore Messina called on Ginobili to settle his team's nerves, and the greatest sixth man in NBA history gave the Spurs a shot in the arm. He found Patty Mills and Kyle Anderson for open jumpers before busting out his signature Eurostep for a darting finish at the basket that kept San Antonio in the driver's seat.
What once came so naturally to a younger Ginobili was now labored. He was clearly slower, but his mind was as sharp as ever:
It took vision and improvisational genius to pump fake Kevon Looney out of his shorts, hopscotch around Durant, and then somehow flip a lefty layup over David West.
The teams were set for a dramatic finish with San Antonio leading by six heading into the fourth. Durant kept rocking the Spurs with body blows, but Ginobili somehow managed to trade punches with the best scorer in the game.
Durant's pull-up triple made it a two-point game with five minutes to go. Ginobili responded by driving right through Green for two free throws. Durant hit a driving layup two minutes later, and again, it was Ginobili who answered with a triple after outsmarting Thompson with a fake:
But the Spurs weren't out of the woods just yet, as Ginobili banged knees with Nick Young on a drive late in the fourth. The 16-year vet doubled over, grimacing, and he looked lost for the night, if not for the series and his career.
That's when a deafening "MA-NU" chant broke out across the AT&T Center. Fans in silver and black, as well as a handful of Argentines that made the journey north to bid farewell, willed their warrior back to life. In classic Ginobili fashion, not only did he fight through the pain, he clinched the win with an improbable flip shot over Green. And for good measure, Ginobili sank another triple with the last shot of the game:
In that moment, it was impossible not to root for Ginobili. Warriors coach Steve Kerr even admitted to cracking a smile when his former teammate made the last shot right in front of his bench. It was a perfect swan song for a legend who made a Hall of Fame career out of performing miracles.