As guard Manu Ginobili has aged, the Spurs have naturally had to lower their expectations for the future Hall of Famer.

“We know we are not going to get the old Manu every night,” Spurs guard Danny Green said. “But we also know on some nights, we are going to get him.”

This season, particularly lately, the “old Manu” is showing up with greater frequency.

Take, for instance, his last two games. In a 113-100 win over New Orleans on Dec. 18 at the AT&T Center and a 102-100 victory at Houston last week, Ginobili registered a combined 29 points, four assists and four steals while sinking 55.5 percent of his shots from the field (10 of 18) and 70 percent of his 3-point attempts (7 of 10).

Ginobili, 39, was instrumental in the come-from-behind, down-to-the-wire win over the Rockets, scoring nine of his 12 points in the fourth period by hitting all three of his 3-point attempts. He also set up guard Patty Mills for his game-winning 3-pointer with a perfect pass with a drive and dish.

“In Houston, he got a good rhythm and we saw flashes of the old Manu,” Green said. “And we needed him. He did not only a great job of making shots — and he’s always been efficient and is very crafty getting to the free throw line — but he put pressure on the defense by finding guys and making the right plays. That’s why Patty was open.”

Green called the pass to Mills “vintage Manu and vintage Spurs basketball, making the extra pass, swinging.”

“We had Kawhi (Leonard) one on one at the top, but he was stuck,” Green said. “But Manu drove and made the defense collapse, and Patty happened to be wide open. Manu knocking down his shots opened up a lot of things for us offensively.”

With the Spurs facing back-to-back games at the end of a three-game road trip last week, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sent Ginobili home the morning after the Houston game to rest.

The 15-year veteran’s absence might have been a factor in the Spurs losing 106-101 to the Clippers on Thursday in Los Angeles. Without him, the Clippers bench outscored the Spurs’, 58-33.

“He creates a lot of action for us offensively, with his ability to pass the ball and his ability to score,” Spurs backup forward David Lee said. “Of course, he’s also one of our steadier leaders being a veteran guy who has seen every situation. So while it’s important for him to get his rest, in a game like, of course, we could have used him.”

Popovich said Friday that Ginobili would return to action Sunday against Chicago in the nationally televised Christmas Day game.

Ginobili is averaging 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists and 19.3 minutes over 24 games. He’s also shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range (32 of 79) and 84.2 percent from the free-throw line (32 of 38).

“He’s a steady force for us,” Lee said, “a guy who comes in always ready to play.”

Ginobili has said several times this season he’s “enjoying the ride and having a good time” after signing a one-year, $14 million contract in July. His teammates aren’t surprised, considering his passion for the game and the way he takes care of himself.

“He’s a beautiful professional,” Green said. “The way he takes care of himself day in and day out is really something. He gets treatment on his body, is in the hot tub, stretches. Timmy (Duncan) was the same. As they got older, they drove home how well you need to take care of your body.”

Lee, who is in his 12th season, also marvels at how well Ginobili takes “great care of his body.”

“From what I’ve seen, he’s a creature of routine,” Lee said. “He loves to play the game and has great dedication to it, so he puts in the work.”

Lee also has been impressed with how Ginobili hasn’t become jaded or dismissive of the practices that early on helped him become one of the NBA’s greatest foreign-born players.

“For somebody who is almost 40, his commitment to detail when it comes to scouting reports is amazing,” Lee said. “He asks as many questions as anybody, things like, ‘Hey, who is this young guy? I’m not familiar with him. What do we need to do?

“Strategy-wise, he’s on top of all that stuff. Sometimes veterans kind of stop worrying about that stuff, the attention to detail. Where some veterans are sort of checked out, he’s fully engaged in those things and that’s what really helps him to stay on top of everything.”

With Duncan retired, Ginobili has taken on more of a leadership role, imparting lessons about the Spurs’ culture at every turn to younger players and newcomers.

“Manu doesn’t jump as high and he’s not as quick as he used to be, but he is still as smart as he always was,” Popovich said. “His comments during timeouts … have been huge.”

And, of course, so has his play on the court.

“Manu is Manu,” Popovich said. “When he gets on the court, he is there ready to play and compete and he’s done it for his whole career. And he’ll do it until he stops playing. I don’t care what his age is.”

torsborn@express-news.net