The San Antonio Spurs announced that coach Gregg Popovich will not travel with the team on its upcoming road trip as he deals with an undisclosed illness. Popovich, 75, wasn’t on the sidelines Saturday night due to the health issue, with assistant coach Mitch Johnson filling in during a 113-103 win over the Timberwoles.
Johnson is expected to remain as the interim head coach for San Antonio’s game on Monday against the Clippers, and Wednesday against the Rockets. After Saturday night’s game, Johnson shed a little light on Popovich’s situation.
“He’s not feeling well,” Johnson said. “This has happened before. I think everybody’s just always got to be ready for the next man up. We’ve had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don’t feel well or things come up in life. He’s just not feeling well.”
Popovich, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023, is currently in his 29th season as the Spurs’ head coach. He has won five NBA championships and has a career record of 1,391-824 (.628 winning percentage) in the regular season.
Despite not having Popovich at the helm, the Spurs picked up an impressive win Saturday night against at Minnesota team that is expected to finish near the top of the conference. It was a dominant team effort from San Antonio, who manhandled the Timberwolves on the boards and in the paint, and at one point held a 19-point lead.
“Mitch did a great job, man,” Spurs guard Chris Paul said after the win. “I think our whole coaching staff [did]. Things happen within this league all the time and just like with the players, it’s next man. So, shout out to Mitch, he did a great job tonight.”
The win moved the Spurs back to .500 on the season, a solid start for a team that a year ago won just 22 games. But while the Spurs prepare for Monday night’s game against the Clippers, attention will be on Popovich and how soon he can return to the sidelines.
