Ginobili to return to in limited action after 5 games
SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is expected to return to the lineup Sunday against Philadelphia after a five-game absence because of a strained left groin. But he'll likely see nothing more than limited activity.
"I'll play a couple of seconds," Ginobili joked in the locker room before the game.
Ginobili's last action came Nov. 18 at Dallas when he left the game in the first quarter when the groin strain flared up. In the previous game in a loss at home against Oklahoma City, Ginobili missed the fourth quarter when a hamstring injury began to tighten.
"The plan is he's not going to play a lot [in this game], that's for sure," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "If he got over 20 minutes I'd be very surprised."
But the Spurs will be without Roger Mason Jr., who was limited to 12 minutes at Houston on Friday because of a strained left hamstring. It will be the third game Mason has missed in the last three seasons (he played 82 games last season and 80 during the 2007-08 season.).
Mason has recovered nicely from a slow start with his shooting touch, which saw him at 27 percent from the floor and 21 percent from 3-point range through the opening nine games of the season. During the past five games he's shot 59 percent from the floor (23-for-39) and 53 percent 3-pointers (9-for-17).
"Over the last five games he might have been our best shooter," Popovich said. "He helped us off the bench giving us a boost offensively. Also, he played well at the point, found guys and was a good assist man. His defense improved over last year, and he has taken a lot of pride in it. He's played some good all-around games for us, so we'll miss him."
Popovich believes Mason won't miss much, probably returning for the Spurs' next game Thursday against Boston.
"We're just making sure tonight," Popovich said.
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