The San Antonio Spurs struck a potentially fatal blow on Tuesday night in the NBA Finals crushing the defending NBA champion Miami Heat by 36 points in Game 3. San Antonio set a NBA Finals record hitting 16 three-pointers and basically putting the nail in the coffin much earlier than anticipated.

Despite the fact that the Spurs were able to take a 2-1 series lead with a win on Tuesday, the team may have suffered a major blow moving forward. Perennial All-Star point guard Tony Parker went down with a hamstring strain in Game 3. With Parker sitting most of the second half with the hamstring strain, Gary Neal stepped up in his absence scoring 24 points and hitting six shots from beyond the arc.

Unfortunately, even though Neal proved his worth in Game 3, the Spurs are a much different team without Parker on the floor. Parker is hopeful he’ll be able to get back on the floor in Game 4, but has given no assurances at this point in time.

With Parker listed as day-to-day at this point in time and seemingly not all that optimistic about his playing status, Neal may get the nod in Game 4 resulting in a completely different dynamic at the point guard position.

It remains to be seen how the Spurs will deal with the potential absence of Parker, but the Heat will definitely enjoy the absence of the three-time NBA champion leading the charge in the backcourt for San Antonio.

Without Parker, the odds will likely change in favor of the Heat heading into Game 4. With Parker’s status still uncertain, San Antonio is still favored to come out on top at home with a -1.5 point spread.

It’ll be interesting to see how much things change without Parker in the mix for the Spurs moving forward.

Related News

• 2013 NBA Finals Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat
• NBA Injury Update: Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs out 2 to 4 weeks
• NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat Game 1
• Parker, San Antonio Spurs Dominate Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 NBA Playoffs
• Oklahoma City Thunder Advance to the NBA Finals