Manu Ginobili has notched his first win as a coach. Who cares if it is preseason?
With the Spurs down two to the Clippers and less than 10 seconds on the clock, Gregg Popovich stepped aside and handed the clipboard to Manu Ginobili, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Nobody wants to play overtime in the preseason, so Ginobili drew up a play to win it.
“I didn’t want to call a pick and roll, because I knew it would take too long,” Ginobili said. “And I wanted something for our best shooter. That was Gary [Neal].”
Neal hit an off-balance three with 1.5 seconds left to give the Spurs a 100-99 win in Mexico City, in front of a loud crowd of 18,674.
Why didn’t Ginobili call his own number? He was 1-for-6 shooting on the night, Neal had the hotter hand. That is smart coaching.