San Antonio Spurs' star point guard Tony Parker has a mild hamstring strain and is now hopeful to play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Parker was injured in the early minutes in the second half of Game 3, which the resulted in a Spurs 113-77 blowout win to take the series lead at 2-1 over the Miami Heat. As a result he was limited to just six points and eight assists with only 27 minutes of playing time. As a result of the score he was allowed to leave early in the fourth to rest.
Parker had an MRI scan on Wednesday that revealed the Grade 1 strain. He is now listed as day-to-day and says he views his diagnosis as good news. He first was concerned that his hamstring had been torn, which would make it difficult for him to continue to play.
Now as the Spurs hold a 2-1 lead in the series, many questions arise on whether or not Miami will be able to bounce back just as strongly as they did in Game 2.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace believes it will be up to the Heat's role players to step up if the Heat are to win a back-to-back title, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com.
"I think LeBron and (Chris) Bosh they want it to be given to them. I don't think they're taking it upon themselves like a (Michael) Jordan would have done."
World Peace added:
"Chalmers, he wants it," World Peace said. "He gets it. He's not as talented as LeBron, but he has more heart. That's those Derek Fisher type of players. Players that have more heart that are not as talented and play hard."
Though he would like to see more effort out of the Heat's role players, World Peace knows that the outcome will ultimately come down to how well James performs.
"Everybody knows I'm a LeBron fan, I always tweet good things about LeBron," World Peace said. "This is straight as a fan. I'm a fan now. I'm not in the playoffs, so I'm a fan of the game enjoying the playoffs. When I'm in the playoffs, I'm not enjoying anybody.
"So, as a fan, sometimes to see LeBron not take over, I'm kind of like, 'Come on, let's do it.' His pops went to jail with my older brother. My brother spent 10 years in jail, they were locked up together. I'm a fan of LeBron, so I always want to see him do well and sometimes I'm like, 'Step it up! Start playing.' "
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