Spurs' Gasol, Parker, Ginobili will be rested Friday vs. Blazers

Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili will be held out Friday against the Trail Blazers for rest purposes, Hector Ledesma of Sports Radio 760 AM The Ticket reports.

Analysis:

The Spurs are entering the second half of a back-to-back set following Thursday's loss to the Clippers, so Gasol, who tallied 21 points and nine rebounds over 32 minutes in that contest, will be held out along with fellow veterans Parker and Ginobili. All three are expected to return to action during the Spurs' Christmas Day matchup with the Bulls in San Antonio. For Friday's game, look for Dewayne Dedmon to pick up the most minutes at center as a result of Gasol's absence, with David Lee perhaps in line to serve as his top understudy.

Parker, who was limited to two points in 28 minutes during Thursday's loss to the Clippers, will likely cede starting duties at point guard to Nicolas Laprovittola, as has been the case in most of the previous games that Parker has missed this season. However, second-unit standout Patty Mills is expected to handle the bulk of the minutes at the position.