The NBA Playoffs 2014 is shaping up and the young Oklahoma Thunder will try to outrun and outgun the 'old' San Antonio Spurs, but the bigger question remains: is the injured Tony Parker ready for the tempest that is Russell Westbrook.
According to official report, per NBA.com, the injured Tony Parker suffered a grade 1 strain in his left hamstring following an MRI on Thursday and listed as day-to-day.
"It's OK; not too bad. Not as bad as the NBA Finals. NBA Finals was a Grade 2. This one is Grade 1. So should be fine for Monday," the injured Tony Parker told the San Antonio Express News in a text message.
NBA's sixth man awardee Manu Ginobili knows the value to the team of the injured Tony Parker, who averaged 23 points and 6.5 assists in the series against the Portland Trailblazers before he went down with an injury in game 5.
In the next round, the injured Tony Parker will face Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, who is a blur on offense and devastating on defense, so the Spurs are at disadvantage.
"Luckily we have a couple of days. It worries us, obviously. But he's been going hard, he's had a great series thus far, and it just kind of caught up with him," all-star forward Tim Duncan said, per Houston Chronicle.
Meanwhile, oddsmakers are split over who will win the NBA Playoffs 2014 match between teh San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma Thunder.
In April, the "old" Spurs currently held a 3/2 advantage to win the Western Conference while the Miami Heat held 3/1 odds to become the world champ, according to oddsmaking service Bovada.LV.
USA Today, meanwhile, picked the Oklahoma Thunder to win mainly because they have the best player in the MVP Kevin Durant and another very good player in Russell Westbrook and "no one on the Spurs can match them individually."
