San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker expects to be "fine" for the Western Conference finals opener after an MRI on his tight left hamstring revealed only a slight strain.
"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."
Parker is day to day, the Spurs said.
"I'm hopeful that he'll be ready to go," coach Gregg Popovich said Friday. "He's going to stay off it again today and tomorrow. They're going to put him on the treadmill a little bit and a bike and shoot a little bit and see where he's at. So, we'll know more tomorrow."
The All-Star left Wednesday night's Game 5 closeout win over the Portland Trail Blazers early in the second quarter due to tightness in his hamstring. After averaging 23.5 points in the first four games of the series, Parker was scoreless in 10 minutes during Game 5.
The Spurs assured Parker of four full days of rest by eliminating Portland in Game 5. The West finals will start Monday night after the Oklahoma City Thunder closed out their conference semifinals series with a Game 6 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.
Parker played the entire NBA Finals last season despite suffering a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring during Game 3. However, he struggled in the last two games of the series as the Miami Heat came back to win the title, going 9-of-35 from the floor in those two San Antonio losses.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
