NBA scores 2017: Manu Ginobili isn’t done having Manu moments, and 7 more things from Friday

Ginobili will never stop being him.

Dec 9, 2017, 1:00 PM UTC

NBA: Boston Celtics at San Antonio Spurs

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Watching Manu Ginobili is 2017 is a strange thing. For a decade, he felt like a post-modern sign of things to come. His game always had a futuristic feel to it, with his rainbow three-pointers and craftiness around the rim. It’s weird to see him in a league that has adopted all of his tricks.

Well, not all of them. Ginobili proved that on Friday, as he buried a game-winning three-pointer against the Boston Celtics to push the San Antonio Spurs past them. The Spurs are still treading water while Kawhi Leonard’s return is imminent, but Ginobili didn’t allow that to disrupt them thanks to this skyscraping triple that pushed San Antonio ahead for good.

Ginobili’s still here. In fact, he’s more here than the previous two seasons, averaging nearly 21 minutes and 8.3 points per game. After two seasons shooting 39 percent from deep, Ginobili’s efficiency behind the arc is down. He’s only played 21 games, so that might just be a small sample size problem — we’ll see if Ginobili can pick things up once Leonard returns. Still, it’s adequate for a player who is currently 40 — FORTY — years old.

You could argue that it was Manu Ginobili who truly introduced the Eurostep into this league, and now it’s something that even lumbering big men pull off with ease. His overall craftiness still translates to 2017. His bald spot has grown into a bald head, something that truly signals his age. And clearly, his clutch three-pointers have survived the years — this is far from the first one that he has knocked down in a crucial moment.

The rest of the league has become more like Manu Ginobili, but don’t think for a second that Ginobili still isn’t just as special.

Cleveland’s streak has finally been snapped!

I’ll let LeBron James eulogy this one.

“Listen, that was a good streak,” James told reporters. “We never talked about it, we just played each game, executed each game. Streaks are meant to be broken, obviously. We came in, we knew this was going to be a tough game for us, they’ve been playing extremely well at home. But we gave ourselves a chance. That’s all you can ask for. Best thing about this league is you always, most of the time you’ve got another one less than 24 hours. We definitely have that.”

Of course it was the Indiana Pacers, who have survived all preseason expectations and turned into a fun, lively crew who might even make the playoffs. Who knows! LeBron James still had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, but he was somehow outplayed by Victor Oladipo’s 33 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

I’m still worried about Jae Crowder, who has been a shell of his Boston self with the Cavaliers. He shot 1-of-7 in the starting line up on Friday. He hasn’t scored double figures in four games.

Jaylen Brown is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Proof:

Jaylen Brown can also JUMP

This is confirmed.

The Warriors held on against Detroit

Golden State hasn’t been swept by any team since Charlotte during the 2013-14 season. The Pistons had beat the Warriors earlier in the year, so technically, they could be the first team in four seasons to do so. They came within five points of it!

... but no, the Warriors won 102-98 against the Pistons on Friday. Kevin Durant had 36 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists while Stephen Curry remains out. He also had five more blocks! Man, Durant is in a groove and that is scary.