Tiago Splitter is out indefinitely due to a sprained left ankle that he suffered in the San Antonio Spurs' Game 3 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, the team announced Saturday.

Splitter is expected to miss seven to 10 days, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Splitter averaged 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in the regular season, solidifying himself as the Spurs' starting center.

Metta World Peace returned from a torn meniscus in his left knee earlier than anyone expected, but he admitted after Game 3 that the knee "was bummish" and that he is expecting to miss Game 4 on Sunday.

"I'll probably sit out Sunday," World Peace said. "... I was the weak link tonight."

World Peace went scoreless in 17 minutes on Friday, when the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3.

The Lakers are down 3-0 in the series and face elimination in Game 4.

Gregg Popovich reiterated his oft-stated plan to follow Tim Duncan into retirement.

Duncan, 37, has given no indication that he plans to retire soon.

“He’s a mentally unique individual in that he’s able to sustain the year-round workout regimen, both physically and (diet) wise,” Popovich said of Duncan’s resurgence. “He has an unbelievable feeling of responsibility for his place in the program and wants to sustain that performance that he brings night after night.”

“When he doesn’t think he can, he’ll stop. It might be in the middle of a game. I can see him walking off the court saying, ‘Nah, I’m not pulling my weight anymore. I’m gone.’ And he’ll walk. And I’ll be right behind him, like this. No pride, no nothing.”

Popovich drafted Duncan out of Wake Forest in 1997 after the Spurs jumped ahead of the Boston Celtics in the lottery.

Tim Duncan believes Tracy McGrady can help the Spurs in the playoffs.

“I definitely think so,” Duncan said. “He looks good. He looks like he has a rhythm going. He’s been playing some.”

Duncan said the only thing that might hold McGrady back from making a quick impact is his limited knowledge of the Spurs’ playbook.

“It’s more about him understanding what we do, and we’re not exactly a simple system,” Duncan said.

Tracy McGrady will sign with the San Antonio Spurs for the rest of the season, according to league sources.

After spending last season with the Atlanta Hawks, McGrady played in China this season.

McGrady averages 19.6 points for his career.

The Spurs released Stephen Jackson late last week.

The San Antonio Spurs have waived Stephen Jackson.

"It's been brewing for a few days," according to a source.

R.C. Buford was in attendance for Pittsburgh’s home finale against Villanova, presumably to scout Steven Adams.

Adams, a native of New Zealand and a possible first-round selection in the forthcoming NBA draft, did not play in the game because he sprained an ankle in practice the day before.

The Spurs employ another New Zealander, Sean Marks, in their front office.

Marks serves as Buford’s director of basketball operations and remains involved in basketball in his home country.

Gregg Popovich seemed to be bracing for the worst after Tony Parker suffered an unspecified leg injury during the Spurs’ 100-88 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Parker limped to the locker room after logging just 2 minutes in the fourth quarter – and scored a season-low 2 points on 1-for-6 shooting.

“I’m really concerned about Tony right now after seeing his situation tonight where he just had to stop,” Popovich said. “My feeling is tendinitis, something in his shins or whatever, from the way it looked on the court. But I don’t know.

“I got to see what’s going on. I got to see what the deal is. We thought he had just kind of recovered from his ankle, so this was something new tonight with his leg. I just don’t know what it is right now.”

There is no target date for Parker’s return.

 “I’ll talk with the medical staff, talk with Pop and try to make the best decision to make sure I’m 100 percent and healthy for the playoffs,” Parker said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Manu Ginobili could miss up to a month with a strained hamstring, putting his status for the start of the playoffs in question.

Ginobili did not play for the San Antonio Spurs in an 88-86 loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday night.

The 35-year-old injured his right hamstring in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers last week.

The Miami Heat sat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Miami denied that the decision to sit the trio had anything to do with San Antonio famously sitting a number of stars on Nov. 29.

James sat with a hamstring strain, while Wade and Chalmers are dealing with ankle issues.

When asked if this was a response to the Spurs players resting in the previous matchup, Erik Spoelstra said, "I could see where you guys would draw those conclusions, but no."

Gregg Popovich couldn't help sarcastically feed controversy.

"What kind of (expletive) is that?" he told reporters before tipoff. "Are you kidding? What a bunch of rummies. Who would think of something like that. That's below the belt. There's no place for that stuff."