Spurs handle Warriors without Ginobili

Spurs handle Warriors without Ginobili

Published Jan. 4, 2012 9:13 p.m. ET

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- With leading scorer Manu Ginobili out for two months, the San Antonio Spurs will need plenty of help from their other stars.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have the role players pitch in as well.

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan put up their typical solid numbers Wednesday night, while reserves T.J. Ford and Danny Green played big roles against Golden State.

It all added up to a 101-95 victory over the Warriors, who not only lost despite getting 38 points from Monta Ellis but sustained a key injury of their own when Stephen Curry left with a sprained right ankle.

Parker scored 21 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, while Duncan had 15 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the Spurs. Richard Jefferson added 17 points, hitting all five of his 3-pointers, and DeJuan Blair had 12 points and nine rebounds.

In the fourth quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Warriors 31-20, it was two reserves helping to spark the run. Ford had seven points and four assists while Green had four points and two blocks.

"T.J. was fantastic," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Danny Green was fantastic. The two of them, they gave us energy to get that ballgame. They played fantastic basketball."

The Warriors led by as many as eight in the fourth quarter, taking an 88-80 lead with 6:46 left after Ellis hit two free throws. Ford and Green, though, followed with consecutive jumpers. Jefferson capped the 9-0 run with a 3-pointer off an assist from Green to put San Antonio up 89-88 with 4:03 left.

The Spurs didn't trail again.

"Big, big win for us tonight," Parker said. "Obviously with Manu out, coming off a loss, a lot of different things. Just being at home, we need to continue to protect our home court. Good win for us. We're down. We find a way to come back. Find a way to get some stops and get back into the game, so all in all a lot of good things."

Ginobili will have surgery on his broken left hand and is expected to be out at least two months. Ginobili, who sat behind the Spurs' bench during the game, tweeted Wednesday that he'll have a plate screwed onto his shooting hand Thursday. He broke his fifth metacarpal, below his pinkie, during the second quarter of a loss at Minnesota on Monday night.

Golden State, meanwhile, not only lost its 27th straight game in San Antonio and 13th overall to the Spurs, but the Warriors also lost Curry. The third-year guard sprained his right ankle and is day-to-day.

He had 20 points and eight assists before coming down awkwardly following a pump fake with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter.

"I haven't been able to look at it exactly, but the way it felt, it rolled over the top," Curry said. "I was trying to take off. It's been one of those things that's been chronic with me. I've been trying to nip it in the bud, but it seems to be coming back. So hopefully it won't last too long because it's frustrating not to be able to be out there with my teammates."

There was no mistaking the teammate who stepped up the biggest for the Warriors on Wednesday, as Ellis had not only 38 points but seven assists and two steals.

"He was incredible and inspiring," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "He made every play. I asked him if he needed a breather, and he said, `No.' It didn't look like he was out of gas. Not only am I asking him to make the plays at the offensive end, but I'm asking him to defend Tony Parker on the other end. He gave me everything he had. I'm proud of his effort and his leadership."

David Lee, who missed the Warriors' last game with food poisoning, had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Klay Thompson added 10 points.

NOTES: The Warriors announced before the game that they have signed veteran
guard Nate Robinson. The 5-foot-9, three-time NBA slam dunk champion was
released Dec. 24 by the Thunder. He'll suit up for the Warriors on
Friday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers. ... The Spurs beefed up
their frontcourt by signing former lottery pick Ike Diogu, chosen ninth
in the 2005 draft by the Warriors. Diogu appeared in 36 games for the
Clippers last season. The 6-8, 250-pound forward didn't play Wednesday.
... Duncan picked up a technical foul with 8:47 remaining for arguing
with the referees.

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