"He talked bad stuff after the first game," Parker said. "So I wanted to prove to him I could play."

Parker convinced Francis and about 17,094 other people in the Alamodome on Thursday night. He scored 16 points, grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, pestered Francis all evening and stuck a clutch 18-footer with 55.7 seconds left to help the Spurs hold off the Rockets 99-97.

"Tony stepped up," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I think everybody saw him mature right before our eyes."

What did Francis think?

"He played good," Francis said. "There's probably only a handful of outstanding guards in the league. But he's a good fit for San Antonio."