Manu Ginobili seals Spurs' 2OT Game 1 win vs. Warriors

Adi Joseph, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

For the 30th consecutive time, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors at home.

If only it were that simple.

The Spurs' 129-127 Game 1 second-round victory didn't come until the second overtime had finished. It came only after Manu Ginobili ended a game-long slump with a three-pointer to win it in the final two seconds. It required an 18-2 rally to end regulation. It meant withstanding a 22-point flurry by Stephen Curry in the third quarter. It caused some of their fans to leave before the rally commenced.

And who could blame them? The Spurs were down 16, dead-to-rights, with the upstart Warriors holding all the momentum. Tim Duncan, who was at Wake Forest when the Spurs last lost at home to the Warriors, wasn't even in for most of the run.

"I have no clue. I really got to watch it to see what happened," Ginobili said of the comeback. "They started missing shots. Steph was unbelievable in the third quarter."

The Spurs hadn't led by two points until 113-111 in the final two minutes of the first overtime period. They hadn't led by three until 123-120 in final two minutes of the second overtime period.

The first key to the magnificent rally? Squelching Curry.

The Warriors point guard had 22 of his 44 points in the third quarter but struggled in the final five minutes of regulation and the two overtime periods. It was Jarrett Jack, Golden State's sixth man, who made the clutch shot to give the Warriors a three-point lead before the Spurs' final possession. And Jack made the first shot of overtime. And Jack took the final shot of the game, missing a three-pointer to win it at the buzzer.

Curry meanwhile clanked the last shot of regulation, a good look on a midrange jumper that he surely would have hit in his torrid third quarter, when he shot 9-for-12, including 4-for-6 from three.

"I don't remember stopping Curry," Popovich said, smirking. Curry did score four points during the second overtime period.

The second key to the rally? Tony Parker being Tony Parker.

The Spurs point guard struggled early in the game, but he had eight points in the final regulation rally, then eight more in the two overtime periods. Parker, the 2007 NBA Finals MVP, finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

But Ginobili found the open three for the final shot for the Spurs. His three-pointer came on an inbound play with 3.4 seconds left in regulation and splashed through the net with 1.2 seconds left, setting up Jack's miss.

"I went from trading him on the spot to wanting to cook him breakfast tomorrow," Popovich said of Ginobili, who finished 5-for-20. "That's the truth."

Duncan kept the Spurs in it early, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds before checking out with a stomach illness. But Ginobili and Parker missed 22 of their first 30 shots combined, allowing the Warriors to build their lead.

Then Parker went off, scoring eight during the Spurs' stretch run during regulation. And Duncan checked back in for the Spurs' final possession in overtime. Everything was set up for the victory there. But Ginobili clanked a good look from midrange, forcing the second overtime. He didn't miss his next shot to win.

Game 2 is Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

And it's in San Antonio.