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Lin was part of Parker’s motivation. But just part.

Tony Parker said the rights things.

He said Jeremy Lin will be a good player. He said he attacked the basket because Tyson Chandler was out. And he said a post-All Star Game slump was reason enough to be ready to play.

I believe all of it.

But Parker keeps up with news around the league, and he’s seen how his peers have reacted to Linsanity. Parker also likes the stage.

So here’s the guess: Parker didn’t need the motivation, but he still used his first game against Lin as another way to find the gear he had lost lately.

It’s all unfair to Lin. He never asked for the attention, and he was never what the publicity made him out to be. Now he’s being treated as if he’s failing, when he’s just another guy trying to earn his place in the league.

“He’s really just a rookie,” Parker said, and he meant that with kindness.

Parker was a rookie once, after all, starting for a contender. But even as a teenager, even running an offense with two Hall of Fame big men, Parker had less pressure than Lin has now.

Lin also has less of a system to work with. Without Chandler, Mike D’Antoni’s defense looked the way it often did in Phoenix. The Spurs shot 54 percent and scored 118 points, and Lin wasn’t responsible for all of that.

Parker scored 32 points, all right, with Lin trying to defend him most of the second half. But Parker also stuck 42 on Russell Westbrook, and Oklahoma City had Serge Ibaka behind him.

As Parker was leaving the locker room Wednesday night, he was asked if he would have still gone to the basket with Chandler playing. Sure, he said, smiling, because he goes to the basket against everyone.

“When you are talking about quickness,” Lin said of Parker afterward, “he is up there with a select few.”

It’s willingness to use that quickness in the lane that got Parker to the All-Star Game again. But it’s as if he relaxed with the honor, most notably against Derrick Rose, and he needed to find the aggression that has made him one of the league’s best. This is where Lin came in.

Timing of three days off pleasing to Parker

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Bruce Bowen’s jersey retirement luncheon

Former Spur Bruce Bowen speaks to the media before his jersey retirement luncheon at the ATT Center on Monday, March 19, 2012. Bowen’s jersey will be retired as part of Wednesday’s game at the arena against the Timberwolves. (Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News)

Bruce Bowen’s No. 12 jersey hangs at the ATT Center during his jersey retirement luncheon on Monday, March 19, 2012. Bowen’s jersey will be retired as part of Wednesday’s game at the arena against the Timberwolves. (Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News)

Former Spur Bruce Bowen (left) and current Spur Tim Duncan share a moment at Bowen’s jersey retirement luncheon at the ATT Center on Monday, March 19, 2012. Bowen’s jersey will be retired as part of Wednesday’s game at the arena against the Timberwolves. (Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News)

Spur Tony Parker (center) shares a laugh with teammates Tiago Splitter (left) and Tim Duncan (right) at Bruce Bowen’s jersey retirement luncheon at the ATT Center on Monday, March 19, 2012. Bowen’s jersey will be retired as part of Wednesday’s game at the arena against the Timberwolves. (Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News)

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (from left) and players Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili tell stories about former teammate Bruce Bowen at his jersey retirement luncheon at the ATT Center on Monday, March 19, 2012. Bowen’s jersey will be retired as part of Wednesday’s game at the arena against the Timberwolves. (Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News)

Retired Spurs forward Bruce Bowen is introduced by fellow Spurs great Sean Elliott at a luncheon honoring Bowen at the ATT Center on Monday, March 19, 2012. Bowen’s jersey will be retired as part of Wednesday’s game at the arena against the Timberwolves. (Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News)

Former Spurs players Danny Ferry (right) and Sean Marks chat during the jersey retirement luncheon for Bruce Bowen at the ATT Center on Monday, March 19, 2012. Bowen’s jersey will be retired as part of Wednesday’s game at the arena against the Timberwolves. (Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News)

As deftly as Gregg Popovich has managed the minutes of his players in the compressed, 66-game post-lockout schedule — only Tony Parker and Tim Duncan average as many as 28 minutes per game — the Spurs coach is mindful of the grind that awaits his team in the final six weeks.

Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves at the ATT Center will begin a stretch of six games in eight nights, including the final three on the road.

Awaiting in mid-April: Eight games in 11 days.

Thus, the three-day break in the schedule that arrived after Saturday’s loss in Dallas was welcomed by everyone, especially Parker, the only Spurs player averaging more than 30 minutes (34.5).

“Definitely, it’s going to help recharge the battery,” said Parker, who admitted fatigue played a role Saturday when he was held to 13 points, his lowest output in March. “I think it was catching up with me because it was a hard game against Oklahoma City (on Friday).

“These three days are definitely going to help me be ready for the big stretch coming up for us.

“Back-to-back-to-back, six games in eight days. That’s a lot of games coming up, so these three days are perfect.”

Aware that Parker didn’t seem as sharp Saturday as he has been most of the season, Popovich promised to guard against overworking him.

“We’ll watch that,” he said. “He’s strong, he’s in great shape, he’s more focused than ever. It’s his best year, and he’s had some good ones.

“We want him to keep that level of energy and focus, and we certainly don’t want to start overplaying him to win a game here and there, that’s for sure.”

Retirement lunch: After an early practice Monday morning, the entire Spurs roster bussed to the ATT Center for a luncheon honoring Bruce Bowen, whose No. 12 will be retired in conjunction with Wednesday’s game.

Bowen, who won three championships with the Spurs before retiring in the summer of 2009, called the impending honor the most special one ever bestowed on him.

“Someone asked me, ‘What if you’re inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame?’” Bowen, 40, said before the luncheon. “It wouldn’t surpass this. This is something that comes from the organization and people you were around for quite some time.”

Considered the premier wing defender of his time, Bowen was named to eight consecutive All-Defensive teams, including five straight first-team mentions between 2002-03 and 2007-08.

Those who played with Bowen consider his inclusion in the ATT Center rafters to be a no-brainer. He will join George Gervin, David Robinson, James Silas, Johnny Moore, Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott as players similarly honored.

“He’s not the type of player who normally gets his jersey retired,” said Manu Ginobili, who played alongside Bowen for seven seasons. “But what he’s done in this franchise was big. It’s very well-deserved.”

mikemonroe@express-news.net

Stuckey, Pistons surprise Lakers in OT

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Kobe Bryant calmly dribbled to his right and made a 19-foot fadeaway at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

It would have been easy for the Detroit Pistons to fold — but the mood at The Palace is finally beginning to feel different.

“Kobe, he’s a phenomenal player. He’s going to hit those,” Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey said. “We didn’t hang our heads. We pretty much just dug down deep in overtime.”

Stuckey scored six of his 34 points in overtime, and the Pistons recovered from Bryant’s tying shot to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 88-85 on Tuesday night.

Bryant and Metta World Peace had chances to tie it late in overtime but couldn’t connect from beyond the arc.

“Everyone played a little tired,” Bryant said.

In front of only their third home sellout of the season — with Gladys Knight performing at halftime — the Pistons won despite scoring only nine points in the third quarter. Detroit started 4-20 under new coach Lawrence Frank but has gone 9-6 since.

“When you just have a short amount of time with this lockout and stuff like that — new team, new coach — everything’s brand new,” Stuckey said. “It’s going to take time. It’s all a process.”

Down 74-71 in the fourth, Stuckey shook free of Bryant with a nifty crossover dribble, stepping back to make a shot from near the free throw line. He put the Pistons ahead with a driving layup.

World Peace stole the ball near midcourt and went the other way for a layup to put the Lakers ahead 76-75, but Stuckey’s 3-pointer with 9.8 seconds left gave the Pistons a two-point lead.

Bryant’s shot over Tayshaun Prince forced the extra session, and neither team led by more than three in overtime.

“Nothing went well, and we paid for it with a loss,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. “I was very disappointed in our team defense. All they did was drive the ball every time, and they got layup after layup after layup.”

Andrew Bynum had 30 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers.

Bryant shot only 8 of 26, finishing with 22 points. He started the game with a black mask protecting his injured nose but switched back to a clear one while struggling through the first half.

“The mask we tried tonight didn’t work,” he said.

“It just slid all over the place.”