Manu Ginobili to start again for Spurs against Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Manu Ginobili is starting for a second consecutive game.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is hoping to finish off Ginobili and the San Antonio Spurs.

Ginobili was fantastic in a starting role in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, scoring 34 points on 11-for-21 shooting and collecting seven assists. But it wasn’t enough to help the Spurs avoid a 108-103 loss.

San Antonio seeks a better result in a win-or-else Game 6 at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday night. The Thunder leads the best-of-seven series, three games to two.

Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich disagreed with TNT analysts who said starting Ginobili disrupted the team’s flow.

“We’re doing the same things, same stuff that we’ve done all year,” Popovich said before the game. “Those guys are used to it. It’s not a big deal. When Manu was coming off the bench, we were just as bad in the second quarter then as we were [Monday] night. I don’t see it.”

Meanwhile, San Antonio reserve guard Gary Neal flew in Wednesday afternoon after skipping the team flight the previous day because he was not feeling well.

Popovich said Neal would play if he was feeling better.

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