The Charlotte Bobcats gave the San Antonio Spurs a good fight. Down by nine points with a little over three minutes left in the game, the Bobcats worked hard and cut the Spurs' lead to just two with 26.8 seconds remaining.

However, Manu Ginobili made a driving layup with 4.9 seconds left and the San Antonio Spurs (5-1) held on for a 91-95 decision over the Charlotte Bobcats (1-6) to extend their winning streak to four games.

It was another "grind-it-out" game for the Spurs and now, it's time to check out the stats of the game.

46 - The Spurs hit their outside shots, connecting on 12-26 (46.2%) from three-point line, including 5-7 from rookie Gary Neal. They also controlled the boards beating the Bobcats 46-41 on the rebounding department.

39.8 - The Spurs held their opponents under 40% field goal shooting for first time in six games, the Bobcats made just 33-83 (39.8) of their shots from the floor. While the Spurs made 36-85 (42.4) of their field goals that proved to be the difference of the game.

26 - Ginobili had a game-high 26 points, including a driving layup with 4.9 seconds remaining that sealed the Spurs' win.

16 - Tyrus Thomas led the Bobcats with 16 points off the bench. They also did a good job on limiting their turnovers, Charlotte only had 13 miscues compared to the Spurs' 16.

15 - Rookie Gary Neal had another great shooting night, he scored 15 points on 5-7 shooting from behind the arc, including consecutive 3s that pushed the Spurs' lead to 88-82 with 5:48 left in the game.

7 - Antonio McDyess had another solid effort of the Spurs bench. He had 7 points, five rebounds and four blocks in 22 minutes of action. The Spurs also held three Bobcats starters to just 7 points a piece (Gerald Wallace, DJ Augustin and Nazr Mohammed).

6 - Richard Jefferson had his worst performance of the young season. He only scored 6 points on 3-9 shooting from the field. However, he had 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal in 33 minutes of action and finished the game with the highest +/- rating at +6.

0 - George Hill went scoreless in 21 minutes of playing time. While DeJuan Blair and Jefferson had zero turnovers for the game.

Rookie Watch: Neal had 15 points in just 14 minutes of playing time. Tiago Splitter continues to be effective in limited minutes, he scored 5 points, grabbed four boards and had a steal in 11 minutes of action. James Anderson had six points and two rebounds.

What's Next? The Spurs will face Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in San Antonio. It will be the second time the two teams meet this season, the Spurs won their first meeting 97-88 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Last week former San Antonio Spurs player Fabricio Oberto retired from the NBA due to health concerns over his heart.

While many Oberto fans wished him well and reminisced about his playing days, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili decided to take it one step further and honor his friend with a jersey "retirement" ceremony at the "GinoDome."

Ginobili is such a great friend huh?

San Antonio Spurs' 2010 NBA draft pick Ryan Richards underwent a second shoulder surgery on Monday.

He previously had surgery on his left shoulder and will most likely not be playing basketball this season.

However the 19-year-old has confirmed that he has undergone a further repair which will keep him on the sidelines for a further five months, all but ending his hopes of playing this season. (source mvp247.com)

The San Antonio Spurs needed to work overtime to put away a scrappy Houston Rockets team that played without Yao Ming.

The Rockets (0-5) decided to rest Ming against the Spurs to preserve him for their next game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Spurs (4-1) caught a break when Houston lost starters Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin to left ankle sprains.

Still, it was a win in the end, with that let's check out the numbers that stood out in this game.

85.7 - The Rockets took care of their free throws, making 18-21 (85.7%) shots for the game. The Spurs did not fare very well from the foul line, converting just 17-25 (68.0%) of their free throws.

50 - Even without Yao Ming the Rockets managed to dominate inside the paint outscoring the Spurs 50-42, with 20 points coming from Luis Scola.

45 - The Rockets hit their outside shots, connecting on 9-20 (45%) from behind the arc. The Spurs weren't that bad from the three-point line either, making 9-21 (42.9%) of their 3-point attempts, including 4-5 from Richard Jefferson.

38 - For the second straight game the Spurs' reserves were owned by their counterparts. The Rockets' bench outscored the Spurs' second unit 38-28.

28 - Manu Ginobili had a game-high 28 points, including a jumper that forced the game into overtime. The Spurs also continued to share the ball well and finished with 28 assists, fourteen coming from Tony Parker.

27 - The Spurs' running game seemed to be effective, they had 27 fast break points against the Rockets' 18.

24 - Martin led the Rockets with 24 points despite playing only 23 minutes.

22 - Richard Jefferson continues to be efficient and productive, he added 22 points and 3 rebounds from the Spurs while shooting 8-13 (61.5%) from the field and 4-5 (80%) from behind the arc.

11 - After committing 23 turnovers against the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs took care of the ball this time and only had 11 turnovers for the entire game.  They also had 11 steals, including five from Tony Parker. The Rockets only have five steals as a team.

10 - George Hill came back to the Spurs' lineup and scored 10 points, added five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 23 minutes of action.

7 - Tony Parker had a great all-around game, he had 21 points, 14 assists and five steals against the Rockets. More importantly, he scored 7 of the Spurs' 11 in overtime.

0 - Tim Duncan did not commit a single turnover in 38 minutes of action, he had 19 points, 11 boards, 3 assists, three blocks and a steal for the night. Chase Budinger went 0-5 from the field against the Spurs and the Rockets remain winless after five games.

Rookie Watch: Gary Neal had five points off the bench but only shot 2-9 from the field. Tiago Splitter had two points and two rebounds in 11 minutes of action. Rookie James Anderson did not play against the Rockets as he returned to his hometown of Junction City, Arkansas to be with his fiancee during the birth of their daughter.

What's Next? The Spurs will hit the road once again when they visit the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday.

In episode 228 of the Spurscast, Michael and Jeff talk about the first four games of the season. The San Antonio Spurs went 3-1 with wins coming against all but New Orleans.

We talked about how the new players are faring, Richard Jefferson's emergence in the last few games, Tiago Splitter's debut, Tony Parker's extension and give thanks to former Spur Fabricio Oberto who retired from the NBA this week among other Spurs news.

The Spurscast. The first and original Spurs podcast.

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The San Antonio Spurs have signed guard Chris Quinn and at the same time released forward Bobby Simmons from the team:

The Spurs signed PG Chris Quinn on Friday, coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News. They released SF Bobby Simmons to make room for him. (source Express News)

Quinn has spent time with the Miami Heat and New Jersey Nets recently. More than likely he was signed due to George Hill being injured. An insurance move.

Simmons rarely received playing time while with the Spurs which was probably a sign he was not going to last long with the team.

As for the back-up small-forward position, seems the Spurs are more than comfortable using James Anderson to back-up Richard Jefferson. Could the move also make way for playing time for Alonzo Gee?

Richard Jefferson is a man on a mission.

After agreeing to a restructured deal with the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason, he dedicated his time over the summer to work and improve his game.

Four games into his second season with the Spurs and it seems Jefferson's offseason regimen is paying off. He currently leads the team in scoring at 20 points per game, and is shooting 65.9 percent from the field, including 53.3% from behind the three-point line.

If there is any doubt he has regained his old form, his performance against the Phoenix Suns could keep skeptics on hold. Jefferson scored 28 points, made all of his six shot attempts in the final quarter, including four 3-pointers that turned the game into the Spurs' favor. The result was a thrilling finish with the Spurs winning it 112-110 in Phoenix.

When Jefferson arrived in San Antonio a year ago, the Spurs and their fans had high hopes and expectations for the team. However, Jefferson was inconsistent during his first year with the Spurs and finished the season averaging 12.3 points per game. His lowest scoring average since his rookie year.

However, with one year under his belt with the Spurs' complex system, Jefferson appears to have exorcised the ghosts which haunted him in his previous season with San Antonio. Last year, Jefferson looked hesitant and at times seemed lost on the floor. This season he looked more confident, focused and aggressive. And he knows when and where to pick his spots.

He chose to stay with the Spurs, improved his game and is trying to prove his doubters wrong.

It's still early in the season, four games are too few to tell how will Jefferson's sophomore year as a Spur will end up. Nonetheless it has been a good start and if his early rebound continues, then the Spurs will be a tougher team to beat in the NBA.

Former San Antonio Spurs center Fabricio Oberto has announced he will retire from the NBA due to health issues:

Portland Trail Blazers center Fabricio Oberto has announced his retirement from basketball due to recurrent palpitations stemming from a prior cardiac condition.

"I made this decision to put my health and my family in front of basketball," Oberto said. "It was a tough decision to make after playing for so many years, but it was the right one."

Oberto was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers this season but was suffering from dizziness during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks which prompted his decision.

He was a member of the Spurs 2007 team which won an NBA title against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

From a Spurs fans point of view he will be missed on the court. He brought the energy, the never-give-up attitude and not to mention the funny dance he did in San Antonio's Alamodome in celebration of the Spurs 2007 NBA title.

We here at Project Spurs had the pleasure to interview Oberto this offseason. He spoke about his cardiac condition and was looking forward to playing this season.

To listen to the interview we did with Oberto click HERE.