Tony Parker Cleared To Return To Action After Hand Injury

The San Antonio Spurs got devastating news from their win at Memphis: point guard Tony Parker may be lost for the rest of the regular season after breaking a bone in his right hand. 

Parker broke the fourth metacarpal – the bone between the bottom knuckle and the wrist – near the end of the first half and did not return to the game. The injury apparently occurred during a scramble for the ball.

A Spurs spokesperson confirmed the broken bone, but could not say how long Parker, the team's second-leading scorer at 16.6 points a game, would miss. The team will evaluate the injury later.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was more direct about the nature of his point guard's loss. "He's got a broken hand. He'll be out six weeks," Popovich said. "He did it in the first half when he dove on the floor."

If that six week figure holds true, that would keep Parker out for the balance of the regular season; six weeks from yesterday is April 17, and the Spurs' season finale is April 14 at Dallas.

The usual thing to do in this scenario--especially when dealing with a playoff stalwart like the Spurs--is to say "well, at least he'll be back and fresh for the playoffs, which is exactly what San Antonio could use." Problem: the Spurs could miss the playoffs. They're 36-24 (which would be an easy 5 seed in the East), which gives them a 7 seed. Portland's at 8, and they're only 1 1/2 games behind San Antonio; the best-case scenario is that that order flips and the Spurs face Los Angeles in Round 1. Yikes.

If you're a Tony Parker owner in fantasy basketball, acquire George Hill at once. If you're a Spurs fan, embrace the power of prayer.