San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili feels healthy going into Game 2 of the NBA playoffs, according to the Associated Press.
"I'm feeling good," he said on Monday. " I'm a little tired, of course, playing after such a long time, but I didn't play that much, either. I feel real good."
Ginobili has struggled all season with injuries, and he missed nine of the last ten regular season games with a strained right hamstring. Spurs' coach Greg Popovich was cautious with Ginobili's playing time on Sunday, limiting him to 19 minutes.
In those 19 minutes, however, Ginobili shined. He scored 18 points on 46.2 percent shooting, including going 3-for-5 on 3-pointers. The performance surprised even surprised the Argentine.
"I didn't picture myself scoring," he said. "I pictured myself playing, contributing, getting a couple of assists, steals or something like that, but I didn't think I was going to be able to score much, so I was surprised."
A healthy Ginobili is a welcomed addition for the Spurs, who struggled shooting against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1. The Spurs shot a paltry 37.6 percent from the field and 31.8 percent on three-pointers, a drastically subpar shooting game for a team that averaged a league second-best field goal percentage of 48.6 percent in the regular season.
"It was great to have Manu back," Popovich told Sports Illustrated, "I'll worry all night about how he'll feel in the morning."
If the 11-year veteran is able to remain healthy, he will provide crucial scoring from San Antonio's bench when the teams meet for Game 2 on Wednesday.
Ginobili won three NBA championships with the Spurs in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The 6'6", second-round pick of the 1999 NBA Draft averaged 14.9 points in his 11 seasons. He is a two-time NBA All-Star and won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2008.
Watch Ginobili and the Spurs defend their home court against the Lakers on Wednesday, April 24 at 9:30 p.m. EST on TNT.
