Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, the leaders of the San Antonio Spurs had yet to establish themselves. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each looked to be moving a step too slow on offence, rotating a second too late on defense and lacking the will to control the game.

Most troubling for San Antonio was the fact that none of their Big Three was succeeding in imposing their will on the game; neither taking command of, or carrying the team. Luckily though for the Spurs, Game 3 at home at the AT&T Center brought with it a renewed energy for their stars and renewed hope that we might have a series after all.

The French Wonderkid, Tony Parker, had a fabulous game as his strong stat line of 20 points, five assists and three rebounds reflected his heady decision-making and complete control in running the Spurs offense. Parker controlled the ball and the clock just as coach Popovich would have hoped, and succeeded in getting those around him quality, uncontested looks. Always a blur in the open court, Parker’s version of a one man fast break left the Lakers muddled and irritated.

Equally as important was Tim Duncan’s outstanding all-around performance. The man who dubs himself “Merlin” had 22 points, 21 rebounds and five assists as he provided his own unique brand of quiet control. The Big Fundamental was the only Spur to have already had a great game, having gotten 30 points and 18 rebounds in the series opener. While he may have struggled with his shot in the first half of Game 3 (only 3-10), in the third quarter with the Lakers threatening, Duncan spearheaded the Spurs, going 3-5 and elevating his game on both ends of the floor. The two-time MVP always appears to have an extra gear when his team needs it most; Sunday night was no exception.

Most significant of the play of the Big Three was that of Ginobili. Everyone’s favourite Argentinian wonder showed up for the first time in the series Sunday night; as Charles Barkley might have said, Manu shifted from “Ginobili” to “GINOBILI!” His splendid shooting display saw him throw in 22 in the first half alone and featured everything from cutting forays to the basket to step-back threes. By dropping 30 points on 9-15 from the field (including 5-7 from long distance), Ginobili exhibited exactly the kind of offensive mastery that made him the Spurs’ best player this season and the near-unanimous Sixth Man of the Year. That his terrific play came as he battled ankle and hand injuries made it all the more impressive. The importance of the frisky guard’s play cannot be overstated: his dreadful performances in Game 1 and 2 directly resulted in San Antonio defeats, whereas his Game 3 brilliance piloted them to an easy win. If he is successful in playing this way for the duration of the series, the Lakers will be facing an unbelievably staunch challenge.

While the reemergence of San Antonio’s three-headed monster was the chief source of the Spurs’ impressive victory, at least some of the credit must be given to the total disappearance of the Lakers “Bench Mob” that was so critical to their Game 2 success. Each member of Los Angeles’s supporting cast shares the blame fully for their overall lack of production. The Machine went 1-5 and was nearly invisible. Luke Walton had only three points in 16 minutes. Derek Fisher was even worse, scoring just two points in 29 minutes of action. And for as great as he was Friday, Lamar Odom was awful Sunday night: yes, he had 11 boards and six assists but he shot just 2-11 from the floor and a putrid 3-8 from the line. If the Lakers had any shot of getting back into the game, it vanished as soon as Kobe Bryant sat down at the start of the fourth, when the lead ballooned from 12 to 17 before he could check back in. By that point the deficit was too great and the Spurs stars were too strong.

Now with the series at 2-1, the defending champions will be looking for more of the same from their stars in Game 4 Tuesday night to try and even the series. The Lakers on the other hand, will just be looking for answers for how to contain the now-awoken giants of efficiency from Texas.

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