SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs guard Tony Parker won’t play against Chris Paul and Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night because of a sore thigh.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said he was being cautious with his leading scorer. Parker strained his right quadriceps while scoring 32 points in a win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Parker, averaging 19.5 points and a career-best 7.9 assists, has also been bothered by lingering pain in his right calf. Popovich said his All-Star point guard could probably play but that the risk doesn’t make sense in this lockout-shortened season.
The Spurs are also without backup T.J. Ford, who left Wednesday’s game after being knocked to the floor.
Gary Neal will start in Parker’s place.