Tony Parker has been huge against the Trail Blazers.
The Spurs’ point guard averaged 23.0 points on 52 percent shooting with 6.5 assists per game in Games 1-4 in their second-round series with Portland.
But Parker left Game 5 early in the second quarter and returned to the locker room. He’d shot just 0-for-2 in 10 minutes and hadn’t suffered any obvious injuries, though apparently his hamstring was bothering him.
At halftime, San Antonio ruled him out for the rest of the game.
Injury report: Tony Parker (tightness, left hamstring) will not return to tonight's game.
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 15, 2014
Up seven entering the second half, the Spurs are in good shape to win this game. Up 3-1 in the series, they’re in even better shape to win this series.
With or without Parker, they should advance to the Western Conference finals.
But losing Parker for longer could prove a huge detriment in later rounds. The Clippers or – and beyond, the Heat – are excellent teams. The Spurs are on that level with Parker. Without him? It will be tough to return to the NBA Finals, let alone win them.
