Spurs’ Parker out for duration of playoffs

One of coach Gregg Popovich’s top priorities in the final weeks of the regular season was making sure the San Antonio Spurs got veteran point guard Tony Parker healthy and in rhythm for the playoff push.

More than seeding or home-court advantage, Popovich said, the Spurs needed Parker in order to stay competitive against the other heavyweights in the Western Conference playoffs.

Now that Parker will miss the rest of the postseason with a leg injury, the Spurs will be tested like they rarely have been before.

The Spurs said Thursday that Parker has a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his left leg. The injury will probably require surgery to repair, meaning the Spurs will have to go through the rest of the postseason without their floor leader. The injury came as the Spurs are locked in a second-round battle with Houston, a series tied 1-1 with Game 3 on the road coming up Friday.

Though Parker, 34, is not the dynamic playmaker he was in his younger days, he has still been hugely important to what the team does. After the Spurs were blown out in Game 1, Parker responded with 18 points in 25 minutes before getting injured to help San Antonio rebound to even the series.

He appeared to land awkwardly while taking a shot with 8:34 to play Wednesday night and crumpled to the court. Popovich said after the game that it didn’t look good, and the Spurs’ fears were confirmed after an MRI exam on Thursday.

With Parker out, backup Patty Mills could move into a starting role and the Spurs will also probably give Kawhi Leonard more ball-handling responsibility. Rookie Dejounte Murray is another candidate to see more playing time.