It’s 2-2 in the Houston Rockets-San Antonio Spurs series. And in the physical war of attrition this brutal series has become, it’s also 1-1. That is, both teams are down a significant player — hurt during the series — players who have major impact on the way their respective teams play. The Spurs lost veteran playmaker and “heart and soul” Tony Parker in Game 2 to a leg injury. In Game 4 the Rockets lost veteran big man Nene to a muscle tear in his thigh. Nene is out for the remainder of the playoffs, as is Parker.
While Parker was a starter for San Antonio and Nene the backup center in Houston, the teams will miss both players equally. Nene was a high energy force for the Rockets with 10 points per game in the playoffs and nearly five boards. Both players are NBA veterans with more than 30 seasons between them. Nene scored a career playoff high 28 points in a first round game against OKC and Parker had moved his ppg average from a regular season 10 to a postseason 16 before his injury. Game 5 is Tuesday night in San Antonio.
