August 24, 2008 1:24 AM

Ginobili says he's OK with Popovich

By Chris Tomasson

BEIJING _ Pop did not pop a fuse when Manu Ginobili got hurt at the Olympics.
Gregg Popovich, San Antonio's coach, had spoken of not wanting his star guard to play in the Olympics due to a lingering ligament problem in his left ankle. Ginobili aggravated the injury in Argentina's Friday semifinal against Team USA, and didn't play in the team's 87-75 bronze-medal winning effort Sunday over Lithuania.
But all apparently is well between Ginobili and Popovich. Ginobili said he spoke to his coach on Saturday.
"I talked to Pop, and he's definitely fine,'' Ginobili said. "He understands the whole situation. He understands the way I feel about all of this (playing for his country). I bet my (butt) that if Pop was a player, he'd have done the same thing. I'm totally sure about what I've done. I'm proud and I'm happy.''
But that doesn't necessarily mean Ginobili will be able to start training camp on time when the Spurs report Sept. 30.
"I have no idea what is going to happen,'' he said. "I'm going to San Antonio, and after next Friday we'll see.''
Ginobili, lost after aggravating his ankle in the first quarter Friday of Argentina's 101-81 loss to Team USA, knew when he woke up Sunday he wouldn't be able to play in the bronze-medal game.
"I can walk. I can jog even,'' he said. "But running like you need to run in a game like this, I couldn't. So I didn't try to be a hero... I only could have damaged the team.''
His teammates didn't need Ginobili to be a hero. Argentina easily beat Lithuania to add a bronze to the gold it won in 2004.
"I had the opportunity to come here and play and medal,'' Ginobili said. "I had bad luck (in the semifinals). But I'm so happy and so proud to be a part of what these guys did.''
Carlos Delfino led Argentina on Sunday with 20 points and Luis Scola added 16.
For Lithuania, it wasn't much of an ending for Nuggets forward Linas Kleiza, who scored just 5 points Sunday. After averaging 14 in the first six games, Kleiza averaged just 2.5 in the final two.
Kleiza, who finished with a 11.1 scoring average in eight Olympic game, also picked up another unsportsmanlike foul Sunday, giving him three in his past two games. The two he got Friday against Spain earned him an ejection.
After Sunday's game, Kleiza breezed by reporters in the mixed zone without stopping to talk.

Posted by Chris Tomasson at 1:24 AM | Comments (1)