How much will Tony Parker’s injury hurt Spurs versus Rockets?

He grabbed his left knee immediately upon landing and remained on the court for a few minutes. Teammates tried to help him limp to the sideline, then had to carry him.

The Spurs said Thursday that Parker has a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his left leg. The power forward has reached the 20-point mark just once in eight playoff games, and he’s averaging 11 points per game in the Spurs’ three losses.

“For this game, it didn’t matter that much”, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. With Parker on the floor this season, per NBA.com, the Spurs had a +5.4 net rating, and a +9.4 rating when he was off the floor.

And, though San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is strategic about when to rest Parker and his other starters, the Spurs actually faced a more hard schedule in the games Parker missed.

Gregg Popovich, known more for his scowl and scathing responses to media, summarized the status of Parker in three words on Wednesday night.

The San Antonio Spurs are starting point guard Dejounte Murray in place of Tony Parker (quad) in Game 3 on Friday. The San Antonio Spurs are averaging 106 points on 47.6 percent shooting and allowing 100 points on 45 percent shooting.

Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-finals vs. the Houston Rockets was a must-win for the Spurs as they had already given up home-court advantage in a sluggish blowout in Game 1.

Toronto Coach Dwane Casey said Lowry is being listed as questionable to play in Friday’s Game 3 of the Raptors’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That’s tops among players still in the postseason.

Meanwhile, Houston’s James Harden has also shared his concern about his fellow baller, saying (via ESPN), “You never want to see a player injured, especially a guy like TP, who is closing down at the end of his career”. After scoring 21 points on 5-14 shooting in Game 1, Leonard exploded in Game 2 for 34 points on 13-16 shooting, 3-4 from downtown. Crowd him, and he goes by them.

Spurs guard Jonathon Simmons, right, puts up a shot over Rockets forward Ryan Anderson in Game 2.

Said Harden: “You can take anybody off that roster, and they’re [still] a great team”.

You play the hand you’re dealt, and if the shoe were on the other foot – and it might just be, considering how hobbled James Harden looked in Game 2 – the Spurs would not be forgiving. “But what he brought to that team, I think it’s unmatched”.

The 34-year-old Brazilian, in his 15th National Basketball Association campaign, was issued a technical foul and ejected for the incident with Dedmon at the end of the third quarter in Houston’s 126-99 rout of the Spurs on Monday. And if San Antonio overcomes Parker’s injury to triumph, probably behind MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard and a surge by point guard (and Saint Mary’s product) Patty Mills, it will surely be less potent.