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Ginobili puts Spurs on the brink

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs drives by Andrei Kirilenko, left, and Jarron Collins, right, of the Utah Jazz during Game Four of the 2007 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at the EnergySolutions Arena on Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah. PHOTO: AFP

Manu Ginobili scored 22 points and San Antonio defeated Utah 91-79 on Monday, putting the Spurs on the brink of the NBA Finals.

The Spurs took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals and can clinch a berth in the championships series by winning game five at home today. The Spurs seek their fourth crown in a run that began in 1999.

Argentina's Ginobili, who made 12-of-15 free throws, scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, deadly from the field and free throw line as the Spurs outscored the Jazz 28-17 in the final quarter to decide the game.

"Manu was aggressive in the fourth quarter and made some big shots and got to the line for us," Gregg Popovich said. "He gave us the scoring we needed in the fourth quarter."

The Western Conference winner will face either Cleveland or Detroit in next month's NBA Finals. Detroit has a 2-1 lead over the Cavaliers, who hosted game four yesterday with Cleveland standout Larry Hughes questionable with a heal injury.

Utah had won all seven prior home starts in this year's playoffs and had been 9-0 all-time at home in playoff games against the Spurs.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Utah star Derek Fisher were both ejected in the final minutes -- Fisher on two technical fouls for bumping into Ginobili and Sloan for complaining about the first foul called against Fisher.

"I don't talk about those. That only gets me into trouble," Sloan said.

The Jazz rallied to within one point at 63-62 after three quarters but fouls and turnovers in the fourth quarter doomed their bid to level the series.

"What they've got to learn every time they step on the floor is not to have the fouls and the turnovers that put [opponents] on the free throw line, regardless of circumstances," Sloan said.

All to do

The controversial calls and Sloan's ejection prompted spectators to hurl trash onto the court in the final seconds and after the game, knowing the Jazz was have to win three in a row to reach the title series.

"They will hopefully rise up and try to win one more ball game. That's what you have to do. They are young guys. It's a learning process. I think that's very important," Sloan said.

The Spurs shot more than twice as many free throws as the Jazz, hitting 30-of-41 from the line compared to 14-of-20 for Utah.

Tim Duncan scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds for San Antonio, who also had 17 points from French guard Tony Parker and 11 points and 11 rebounds from Argentina's Fabricio Oberto.

Utah was led by Deron Williams with 27 points and 10 assists while Carlos Boozer added 18 points and nine rebounds. The Spurs altered their defensive scheme on Williams to try and deny him the ball in the fourth quarter.

"We just tried to give him a couple of different looks," Popovich said. "The man is incredible. He was slicing and dicing us. I don't think we stopped him altogether but we held him down."
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