During the San Antonio Spurs' shocking Game 3 blowout win over the Miami Heat, star point guard Tony Parker tweaked his hamstring and sat out much of the second half.
Parker is scheduled to have an MRI in his injured hammy today, and his status for Game 4 is unknown. If Parker is forced to miss time, the Spurs are likely to call on streak-shooting reserve Gary Neal, who went off on Miami in Game 3 for 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 6-of-10 from behind the 3-point line.
During the regular season, Neal averaged close to 10 points per game off the bench, and his game revolves around gunning shots from long distance. If he is called upon to replace Parker, however, Neal will need to approach Game 4 with a more careful, measured approach.
He averaged 1.9 assists per game in the regular season; that will not cut it against the staunch Heat defense, especially an angry one that is coming off a laughable loss.
The Spurs are still hoping that Parker's hamstring problem was merely a tweak, and that he'll be able to suit up and contribute as usual in Game 4. "Hopefully it's nothing big and it's just cramping or got tight on me," Parker said. "I don't know. It was just a weird feeling."
Parker seemed to caution Spurs fans as well as the media from speculating based on how little he played in the fourth quarter. "I just wanted to make sure the doctor said I was OK and then I played two minutes in the fourth quarter and we were up big so (coach Gregg Popovich) didn't want to take a risk," Parker said. "We will see tomorrow."
Should Parker miss any games going forward, Manu Ginobili will also be required to up his production. Tuesday night Ginobili showed signs of life, netting seven points and dishing out six assists.
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