Man-to-Manu defense

Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst Steve Kerr makes his points on the postseason in his playoff notebook.

Series schedules and results:
Wizards-Heat | Pacers-Pistons | Mavericks-Suns | Sonics-Spurs

San Antonio 103, Seattle 90
If I may quote my TNT cohort Charles Barkley … "GI-NO-BILI!"

In a stunning performance, Manu Ginobili scored 39 points on just 15 field-goal attempts to help the San Antonio Spurs come away with a hard-fought Game 5 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday night.

Ginobili is that rare NBA player who actually stands out in the crowd. That's a very difficult thing to do in the league because there are so many good players. But when you watch a game and one man continually rises above the rest, you know he's good.

Reinserted into the starting lineup by Gregg Popovich, Ginobili slashed his way to the hole constantly against Seattle's defense, scoring on an array of finger rolls, dunks and layins. When the Sonics backed off of him, he drained jumpers, and, as they've done all series, resorted to hard fouls as well, sending him to the line 17 times (he made 15 of them).

All in all, it was an amazing performance when Popovich and the Spurs needed it most. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker both suffered through sub-par games and San Antonio struggled to put away Seattle until late in the game.

Nate McMillan's team put up a great fight despite being without Rashard Lewis and Vladimir Radmanovic. The Sonics again worked their screen and rolls effectively against the Spurs, and they pounded the offensive glass for 13 rebounds. But unlike Game 4, Seattle couldn't get its defense in gear.

The Sonics forced San Antonio into just nine turnovers and scored zero fast-break points. Seattle can't win if it can't score some easy buckets, and the Spurs were very careful with the ball for that reason. San Antonio knows that if it forces the Sonics into their half-court offense most of the game that it has a great chance to win.

For Seattle to force a deciding seventh game with a Game 6 victory on Thursday, it'll have to do a better job of finding some free points. The Sonics must attack the rim and get to the free-throw line, and they have to force turnovers and get out on the fast break. Also, they have to knock down jump shots, like they did in Game 4.

But the biggest challenge for the Sonics will be keeping Ginobili out of the paint. He has an amazing knack for shifting directions and speeds while going full bore down the lane, then somehow finishing the play or passing to someone else for a bucket. Seattle has to do a better job containing him to have a chance, and it may decide to play more zone defense to get the job done.

For San Antonio, it's time to step up and win a road game to finish off the series. The Spurs are a much better team than Seattle, especially when it is without Lewis and Radmanovic, and they have to do what they did in Game 5: take care of the ball, make Seattle score in the half court and play with an edge. If they do so, they'll earn a trip to the Western Conference finals. If not, there will be a nerve-wracking Game 7 on Sunday.

Detroit 86, Indiana 67
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – History says that in any NBA series tied at 2-2 the winner of Game 5 goes on to take the series 84 percent of the time. After what the Detroit Pistons did to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, I would expect that percentage to grow a little.

In a dominating performance, Detroit totally stifled the Pacers by suffocating their offense. It was a defensive clinic by the Pistons, who used their superior quickness and amazing team speed to keep Rick Carlisle's club from ever getting anything going offensively. Unlike Games 2 and 3 – which Indiana won – the Pacers couldn't win any of the hustle battles that had kept them competitive.

Detroit showed up with what Gregg Popovich calls "appropriate fear." The edge was apparent early on as the Pistons seemed to beat Indiana to every loose ball. And after a first quarter in which the Pacers shot 10-of-19, they would make only 14 out of 46 field-goal attempts over the final three quarters. Indiana looked absolutely demoralized during that span and it will have to find some positive energy and confidence if it is going to extend Reggie Miller's career one more game.

The Pistons are now one win away from a berth in the Eastern Conference finals in part because of a terrific effort from their bench. Carlos Arroyo awakened a sleepy Detroit crowd with some spectacular passes in the second quarter, while Antonio McDyess provided solid work on the block and offensive boards. The spark from the reserves spurred the Pistons to a 30-4 run spanning the second and third quarters. The game was essentially over at that point.

For the Pacers to bounce back in Game 6 on Thursday, they'll have to find a way to score. They know they can't put up points against Detroit's half-court defense – the Pacers have shot below 40 percent in every game in the series – so they'll have to generate some offense. Also, Indiana will have to pound the offensive glass, make defensive stops and score some in transition. That's a tall order for a team that was at the bottom of the league in fast-break points this season.

But when the Pacers run a bit, they can find some open shots and knock them down. Also, they must get a good effort from Jamaal Tinsley. In the two Pacers wins this series, he has been terrific. In the three losses, he's been a non-factor. In Game 5, Tinsley shot 1-for-6, had five assists and turned the ball over twice in 26 minutes. He never penetrated the lane to create offense. The other key is Jermaine O'Neal. He entered Game 6 shooting just 32 percent for the series. When your go-to guy can't put the ball in the basket, you're in trouble.

Of course, the Pistons' defense had plenty to do with that. They were phenomenal in Game 5. And if they come out with the same intensity in Game 6, it could be lights out for the Pacers.