"At long last, the Spurs have a date targeted for Manu Ginobili to make his return from a broken left hand.

If all goes to plan, coach Gregg Popovich said, Ginobili is "likely" to play Saturday at New Jersey.

One sign Ginobili's return is imminent: With a straight face, he lobbied Popovich to play Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

"I think it's too early," Popovich said. "We'd like to get him into a 5-on-5 situation before he plays. I think we'll be able to do that this week.

"Probably, New Jersey is the first time he'll be allowed to play, I think. I think that's likely.""