Frenchman reveals it is a Grade 1 hamstring strain…
San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker has revealed that he suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain but is confident he will be fine for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Parker left Wednesday night’s Game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second quarter after feeling tightness in his hamstring.
After averaging 23.5 points in the first four games of the series, the Frenchman was scoreless in 10 minutes during the final encounter and was forced to withdraw in order to receive treatment.
Nevertheless, the Spurs went on to win the close-out game to advance to the Western Conference finals where they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, although they now face an anxious wait over whether or not they will have their influential guard running the floor.
“It’s OK; not too bad,” Parker said Thursday in a text message to the San Antonio Express-News. “Not as bad as the NBA Finals. NBA Finals was a Grade 2. This one is Grade 1. So should be fine for Monday.”
The Spurs have listed Parker as day to day, but with four full days of rest ahead of Game 1 on Monday night, they remain confident that he will be able to recover in time and feature from the start.
It is not a new situation for the 31-year-old, who played the entire NBA Finals last season despite suffering a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring in Game 3 against the Miami Heat.
Having struggled in the last two games of the series after going 9-of-35 from the floor in those two losses, the Heat were able to battle back and claim the championship which left the Spurs nursing a heartbreaking end to what had been a promising season.
Coach Gregg Popovich will want his key players healthy heading into what will be a tricky series against the Thunder, and Parker is undoubtedly the most important part of their roster.
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