"Had things gone according to the Spurs' plan, Gary Neal would have played Thursday night for the Austin Toros against the Maine Red Claws in an NBA Development League game at Cedar Park Center, just northwest of Austin.

Instead, Neal was in the starting lineup for the Spurs at the AT&T Center, going 3 for 3 on 3-point shots in the first quarter of a blowout victory over the Mavericks.

On his way back to NBA action after undergoing an appendectomy on Dec. 12, Neal had been assigned to the Toros so he could get some contact in 5-on-5 practices. Ideally, he would have played a couple of D-League games, including Thursday's against the Red Claws, to be fully ready for NBA action.

What changed for Neal and the Spurs, of course, was the injury to Manu Ginobili's left hand, a fractured fifth metacarpal that will have Ginobili on the sidelines for approximately six weeks.

"I was down there," Neal said. "I practiced two days. I think they had me down there to play some games, but Manu got hurt. It kind of sped it up.""