Suns say injured Spurs still team to beat

Thursday, Jan 31, 2008 2:09 pm EST
Mike D'Antoni

Getty Images

The Phoenix Suns still consider the San Antonio Spurs the team to beat if they want what the Spurs have — the Larry O'Brien Trophy that goes to the NBA champion.

Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni understands why Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wants point guard Tony Parker healthy for the playoffs, rather than playing with an injured heel and gutting out a game in January.

"They have little gimps and stuff, but that doesn't fool us much," D'Antoni said. "They're still the world champions, and we've got to knock them off to win it. I fully expect (them) to be there when the (regular) season's over. If we catch them when they're a little down, great."

Source: Express-News