Tony Parker on the Spurs/Warriors games: ‘Everybody’s playing now’

In spite of the brilliant seasons shared by both teams, since last fall it had become apparent that the pair of April showdowns between the pace-setting Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs would act as a bit of a letdown.

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The Warriors were ahead of the pack, however slightly, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is notorious for resting players throughout the regular season. Even Tony Parker admitted toward the end of March that you might not want to elbow into a prime seat at your local wing joint in order to watch the two championship favorites go at it – the Spurs (and possibly Warriors) were going to rest their stars.

Even Tony Parker admits he can change his mind.

The Spurs guard gave the whole of NBA fandom a bit of hope, as it limps toward the regular season’s end, that the Spurs and Warriors could go at full strength when they meet up on Thursday, and again on Sunday.

From the minutes following the Spurs combative win over Utah on Tuesday night, via Jeff Garcia at Spurs Zone:

“I think we’ll play,” Parker said. “Utah, I thought he was going to rest everybody. But we played Utah, so I don’t see any reason we’re not playing Golden State.

“Like I said, before the Utah game, I thought [Popovich] was going to rest everybody,” Parker said. “He said he wanted to play. So if we played Utah, I don’t see any reason now we’re not going to play Golden State. Before, we were going to rest everybody like against Utah and Golden State. But I guess he changed his mind. Everybody’s playing now.”

Sweet. Sweeeeeeet.

This comes in stark contrast to what Parker offered just over a week ago:

I think no one will play (versus the Warriors). To Pop (Gregg Popovich), the most important thing is that the players are rested for the playoffs. As for first place, he does not care.

For us, the end of the regular season is a good time to rest. That’s why we play hard throughout the season, trying to win the most games possible, to find ourselves in this situation of “luxury,” we are sure we will be the second seed and we can all rest before the playoffs. […]

I think the most important thing for him (Popovich) is to win the NBA title. The record at home or games against Golden State, is not what interests him.

Gregg Popovich doesn’t often cede to those who share interests outside of his own. Like the ones that wanted to see the Spurs at full strength against Golden State in the first meeting between the two squads. Pop said “naah” that idea.

Golden State blew the Spurs out of the water in that one, but the Spurs returned the favor last month with an obscenely stellar defensive showing to knot the season series. A regular “season series” doesn’t matter much when it comes down to an expected pairing that will likely bear fruit in the Western Conference finals in late May, but for those that are smitten with watching two teams that have flirted with 70 (or more) wins all season, a bit of thrashing was at least hoped for.

Now, the question comes down toward whether or not the 69-9 Warriors – led by a Popovich disciple in Steve Kerr – will return the favor.

Kerr, as anyone reading this website should know, was on the record-setting 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team that won 72 games. Prior to his frustrated Warriors losing their ninth game in the face of a young Minnesota Timberwolves, Kerr drew some uneasy parallels.

From Michael Lee at The Vertical:

“The same thing happened 20 years ago. We didn’t play very well down the stretch. Even the game that we broke the record, we played very poorly. This doesn’t surprise me,” Kerr said. “I think it’s easy to get lost in all this stuff. We haven’t been very dialed in of late. Good news is, I think we’re perfectly capable of getting locked in and playing much better and we should, because our eyes should be a little more open to the dangers and opportunities that are out there when you mess around and play with the game, and you don’t play the way you should.”

It’s true that Chicago’s 70th win that year, in a rather ugly conquest in Milwaukee, wasn’t easy on the eyes. The team also lost very winnable home contests against an anonymous Charlotte team (a one-point game that Chicago had five chances to nail a go-ahead shot in during the final seconds) and a Reggie Miller-less Pacers squad in the season’s final two weeks.

That Hornets loss came the night after the team’s most anticipated game of the season, though, a nationally-televised win over the Orlando Magic. And during the season’s last fortnight the Bulls also beat the Pistons by 31, the 76ers by 30 and the Cavaliers by 26 – no small feat considering the Cavaliers averaged the league’s slowest pace by a turtle’s mile.

The Warriors have lost two of three, and finishing the season with two games against the Spurs and two contests against the still-game Memphis Grizzlies is no fun way to end a season, but this is also a team that could have its first round matchup (currently against a very tough Utah squad, as San Antonio well knows), wrapped up in time to have three or four days off before the second round. Even if the squad’s second round opponent, likely the Clippers, dominates Memphis and wins in a sweep. It’s all about the television schedule. The Warriors could be facing down a stretch of just eight games in 18 days.

The Spurs?

Even after all of this, if they win out there could be a solid chance at the team taking the West’s top seed, which is remarkable. On top of the two Warrior games the team will have contests against Denver, an Oklahoma City club set in its third-seeded ways and already resting players, and a Dallas Mavericks squad on the last night of the season. The Mavs, by that point, could have already clinched a playoff berth.

So one can understand the sudden brio from one Tony Parker, staring down what could be something special.

Of course, all it takes is one glare from Coach Pop. One sign-off on a series of DNP—OLDs to crush our hopes.

And we’ll all have to wait until late May. As it’s been all season.

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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops