No. 2 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 7 Spurs
NBA First-Round Playoff Series
Game 1: Saturday, 2 p.m., Oakland, Calif.
Game 2: Monday, 9:30 p.m., Oakland
Game 3: Thursday, April 19, 8:30 p.m., AT&T Center
Game 4: Sunday, April 22, 2:30 p.m., AT&T Center
*Game 5: Tuesday, April 24, Time TBD, Oakland
*Game 6: Thursday, April 26, Time TBD, AT&T Center
*Game 7: Saturday, April 28, Time TBD, Oakland
*If necessary
Manu Ginobili was characteristically insightful Friday when he was asked if he thought the Spurs, who struggled to make the playoffs, have a psychological edge going into their first-round series against defending champion Golden State.
The Silver & Black dropped to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference after losing their regular-season finale to New Orleans on Wednesday, drawing the No. 2 seeded Warriors.
Golden State, which has won two of the last three NBA championships, swept San Antonio in the Western Conference finals last year and took the 2017-18 series 3-1.
Ginobili, a guard who is in his 16th season with the Silver & Black, didn’t hesitate to reply when he was asked if all the pressure will be on the Warriors because they’re heavily favored.
“We all know that we aren’t favorites, that we are underdogs,” Ginobili said after Friday morning’s workout. “But also, if we are underdogs, there’s a reason we are underdogs, because they are better at this point. To match that up, we’ve got to play above where we’ve been playing, especially on the road.
“We don’t have home-court advantage and the last, what, 12 games we lost (on the road). I don’t even know. So, we’ve really got to improve in many ways. Hopefully, we do that and we raise our game to the next level because if not, it’s not going to be enough.”
The Spurs lost their last eight road games of the regular season and 12 of their last 13 away from the AT&T Center. The Silver & Black haven’t won on the road since Feb. 25, when they beat LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
Golden State hosts San Antonio in Game 1 of their best-of-best series at 2 p.m. Saturday. Game 2 is also scheduled for Oakland, Calif, scheduled for Monday at 9:30 p.m.
Injured Spurs All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard, who was limited to only nine games during the regular season by a quad injury, has been ruled out for the playoff opener. Leonard hasn't played since Jan. 13.
While the Warriors are renowned for their explosive offense, their defense often gets overlooked in discussions about their success. The Spurs know better.
“They are smart,” Ginobili said of Golden State’s defense. “They are long. They are very quick to switch back to the matchups they want. They’ve got a lot of long wings that recover very quick. Very athletic and explosive.
“They are quick to match up again and go for the rebounds and get blocks and deflections. There’s a reason why they’ve been winning so many games in the last few years.
Prolific Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who has been sidelined since spraining a knee March 23, is expected to miss the first round of the playoffs. Golden State struggled in the homestretch without Curry, losing 10 of its last 17 games.
Still, the Warriors finished the regular season with the third-best record (58-24) in the league. Houston, the No. 1 seed in the West, went 65-17 and No. 1 East seed Toronto finished 59-23.
The Spurs-Warriors series shifts to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 is set for 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the AT&T Center, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday, April 22, at 2:30 p.m.
Ginobili, 40, chuckled when was asked about the early starting time for Game 1, which tips off at noon, PDT.
“I prefer noon to 8:30 (p.m.),” Ginobili said. “I’m getting old for 8:30. I start yawning before I get in (the game). I prefer mornings than late games. So, not a big deal for me. Sometimes it takes a little longer to warm up, but overall, I’m fine with it.”
Ginobili, the second-oldest active player in the NBA behind 41-year-old Vince Carter, has won four championships with the Spurs. Ginobili turns 41 on July 28.
The Silver & Black flew to Oakland after practicing Friday.