SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday, after an MRI revealed a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
He refused to speculate on his availability for Game 4, but he and Gregg Popovich confirmed to reporters at this morning’s shootaround that he would in fact be in the lineup for the Spurs on Thursday night.
“I will be ready to go,” Parker said, via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
The hamstring limited Parker to just six points in 27 minutes of action in Game 3, but thanks to the play of Danny Green and and Gary Neal who combined for 51 points, San Antonio rolled to a 36-point victory.
Parker was the Spurs’ leading scorer during the regular season, and even if he’s limited by the injury, just having him out there initiating the offense is extremely important to what his team does on that end of the floor.
Heat players largely said they wouldn’t concern themselves with Parker’s status on Wednesday, and Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra echoed it from the top, stating that it’s more about his team’s effort than it is about who suits up for the opposition.
But being the competitor he is, Spoelstra wants to beat the Spurs at nothing less than 100 percent.
“If we bring the level of effort and focus that we brought [in Game 3], it doesn’t matter who plays for them,” Spoelstra said. “We’re hoping he plays. We want both teams to be healthy. We don’t want any excuses and they don’t want any excuses, either.”
There won’t be any excuses from either side now that Parker is officially a go for Game 4.
