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Graydon holds down the preview and recap forts with his Match Up of the Night and Notebook posts. The Notebooks are always terrific, and last night’s edition was no different. Still, I’m going to post a bright red cherry atop his delectable little sundae. Graydon writes:

I am officially abolishing the practice of declaring that any given game is the game in which “Ginobili has arrived.” He got back a few games ago and hasn’t left since. Any difficulties he faces over the rest of the season are post-arrival slumps, not manifestations of his post-injury struggles. At this point he seems to have regained his confidence and explosiveness.

In these words, Graydon saw my temptation and headed it off at the pass. Or, so he tried. After each of the last four games I’ve wanted to announce to the world that Ginobili was back. Even in last night’s circus freak show-Duncan blew up in the 1st quarter for 17 and 7 on 7-9 shooting, Pop and Nellie played 5 on 5 guards for a few minutes in the 2nd quarter, Captain Jack and Manu went straight gunslingers in the 3rd, the right 3 Spurs chipped in with 20 or more apiece but also had 15 turnovers between them, and the team caricatured themselves by under performing through out the contest before calmly, adroitly securing the victory—there emerged one salient storyline: Manu Ginobili is back.

Sorry, Graydon, I couldn’t resist.

Manu is back, and he’s got here by going to the rim. Not only has this made him better, but the Spurs have regained much of their championship swagger because of it. Nearly all of Ginobili’s makes against Golden State came at the rim.

This is discouraging in the sense that Ginobili still isn’t hitting with much consistency from outside, but the return of his crafty dribble drive, athleticism, and ability to get to the foul line is more than enough to offset those concerns. At this point, I don’t care if Manu is putting his body on the line for the sake of getting to basket-this is who he is, and he can’t play any other way. At least not if the Spurs expect to win a title. I’d much prefer him to teeter on the brink of injury by playing his game than see him settle for jumpshots and step back 3s. In a 4 game win streak that has included Utah, Phoenix, and New Orleans, Ginobili has determined that he’s going to the hoop, come what may.

With his will set on getting to the rim, the Spurs are finally getting to the line. Until recently, they were one of the least fouled teams in the league. In the Spurs recent loss to the Lakers, Manu Ginobili did not attempt a single free throw. In the 4 victories since, he’s gone to the line 48 times-a whopping average of twelve attempts per contest. This signals more than a shift in focus, it’s representative of his competitive spirit. Ginobili was not happy with the way the Spurs rolled over at the Forum. He wasn’t a fan of Popovich’s decision to cede the game early in the 4th. His return to form-his insistence on getting to the hoop-is something of a clarion call. If the Spurs fall short of a championship this season, it won’t be for lack of heart.

Ginobili took a few hard falls last night, and it’s clear that he’s playing without regard for his body. He only cares to win. Spurs fans will have a few moments between now and the end of the season waiting to exhale; we’ll have a few of those moments each game. Manu Ginobili’s decline is inevitable, and it will come sooner than any of us would want. With age, decay. But I’d rather he burn out in an inferno of white-hot heat than go meekly into the night. From what I can tell, he agrees.