Spurs announce Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will rest on Thursday night against Warriors

Dec 16, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (right) talks with guard Manu Ginobili (20) during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Spurs 115-92. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s happening… again.

Spurs just announced Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are being rested tonight against Golden State ... with Tony Parker (shin) still out, too
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 19, 2013

During the Spurs’ 2012-2013 march to the NBA Finals, head coach Gregg Popovich famously rested nearly all of his “core” talent in a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat, and it seems as if he’s following that idea once again. This time, Tony Parker is actually injured (as noted by Marc Stein above), but once again, the team is on national TV on a Thursday night, and Pop is freely electing to sit the other two members of the “big three”.

Popovich was fined by commissioner David Stern last season, but it was a bit more egregious, given that it was four “healthy” players instead of two. Still, it seems as if Pop and the entire organization aren’t going to let the threat of fine deter them from keeping their stars rested and healthy, and this is another example of that.

Now, all eyes shift to the game itself, and it will be very interesting to see if this will be quite as competitive as the Heat/Spurs game (which finished 105-100) was last November.

Home/Golden State Warriors