NBA Playoffs 2014: Tony Parker leaves Game 5 with hamstring injury

Despite walking away with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers that advances the San Antonio Spurs to the Western Conference finals, they have a little issue on their hand: Tony Parker left the game with a hamstring injury and never returned.

Without Parker, the Spurs were able to walk over a demoralized Blazers team, but with the Los Angeles Clippers or Oklahoma City Thunder looming in the next round, Parker’s health being close to or fully 100 percent is imperative. The last time Parker dealt with an injury that hampered his play within the playoffs, it was during the 2013 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat took advantage and though the Ray Allen three in Game 6 is often pegged as the reason why the Heat won the series, Parker not being fully healthy had a large hand in the outcome.

This seems to be a lingering issue. I’d be a reach to conned this hamstring issue to the one that was prevalent in the 2013 NBA Finals, but considering Parker dealt with this issue in the opening round against the Dallas Mavericks, it’s safe to say this is a repeating issue that could come to bite the Spurs.

Right now, all the Spurs can do is hope for a Game 7 in the Clippers-Thunder series. This would give the franchise extra time to rest and game plan, the former being viable on Parker’s recovery.

In the 2014 NBA Playoffs, Parker is averaging 21.0 points and 5.4 assists per game.