Tony Parker to be ready to play if spurs advance to the next round

One of 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 matchup against the Houston rockets 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 likely will not require surgery to repair, meaning the Spurs will have to go through the rest of the matchup against the Houston rockets without their floor leader.

Next up is Game 6 of their 3-2 series with the Rockets on Thursday night in Houston.

“If he’s not right or he can’t play, we’re going to have a tough time staying with the big boys,” Popovich told The Associated Press in a late March interview. “When he’s been healthy we’ve had a rhythm, he gets into it defensively and has set a tone on the perimeter for us along with Kawhi (Leonard). His organization of the team is really important, understanding time and score, what’s going on on the court.