The Spurs went to Houston under a whirlwind of emotions. With Tony Parker out for the remainder of the playoffs with a now surgically repaired torn quadriceps tendon, the Spurs had to face the reality of playing a playoff game without the Wee Frenchman for the first time in sixteen years while also remaining focused on the task at hand.
The other challenge was finding a way to physically replace Parker’s surging production in this postseason, particular as the Spurs second leading scorer and only constant one behind Kawhi Leonard. They needed someone to show up and take over that role, namely LaMarcus Aldridge, and he did just that last night by playing with sense of urgency and making quicker decisions.