Manu Ginobili would prefer to meet Pacers in the Finals

The Spurs have an extended layoff thanks to taking care of the Memphis Grizzlies with a four game sweep in the Western Conference Finals. As they practice and await the conclusion of the series between the Heat and the Pacers, questions naturally arise as to whether or not the team has a preference in who it would like to face in the championship round.

While most players are usually diplomatic or refuse to answer, Manu Ginobili was fine in coming out and saying that he’d rather see Indiana in the Finals than the defending champions from Miami -- but not because he thinks one team would be a better matchup.

From Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News:

“It’s not that we pull (for Indiana),” he said. “I think this time it’s different than before because the homecourt advantage. It is a big difference. It’s not definitive. It doesn’t mean that whoever has homecourt advantage is going to win. But we all prefer to have a Game 7 at home than on the road if we could get to that point. But besides that, different styles, I think we can match up with both.”

Championship teams usually have to win one or more games on the road, especially in the Finals where the format switches to 2-3-2 in terms of where the games are played.

But Ginobili is right when he says a Game 7 at home is something to be valued, so there’s no shame in his rooting a little bit for the Pacers to come back and win the series, considering it would mean home court advantage for the Spurs in the NBA Finals.