Gregg Popovich didn’t hide his frustration…
San Antonio Spurs Hall of Fame Head Coach Gregg Popovich needed just 36 seconds to sum up his team’s performance following a 118-113 loss to the Washington Wizards.
“We looked immature, we looked foolish…That’s a disappointment,” Popovich shared.
The Spurs led the Wizards for most of the game and looked on their way to a third consecutive win for the first time this season. Instead, they were outscored 31-20 in the fourth quarter to suffer a seventh loss in their last 10 games.
Gregg Popovich’s full Spurs comments
Popovich walked into the Frost Bank Center room where the Spurs hold post-game media availability for their head coach and select players. He sat down at the table about five paces from the door and without waiting for a reporter’s question immediately started talking.
“Well, that’s what I call a self-inflicted loss. I thought Washington played harder than we did. They played smarter. They executed better. We didn’t have enough people playing well or playing smart and we did that to ourselves,” the Hall of Fame coach said.
“So, I think it’s a tough loss because for the first time in a while, we looked young. We looked immature. We looked foolish and did not play with each other the way we have been so that’s a disappointment. But that’s the way it goes and you move on,” Popovich said before he stood right back up and walked out to complete a post-game press conference that didn’t even go 40 seconds.
Spurs blow a chance at a season marker
For most of Monday night, it appeared the Spurs were on their way to taking another step in a season that’s on track as the worst in franchise history. They’d been playing much better since point guard Tre Jones entered the starting lineup on January 4. In looking for their third straight victory, the Spurs–who knocked off the West-best Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday–were also in position to grab their fourth win in six games. It’s a seeming anomaly considering their 10-36 record heading into the Wizards game.
The Silver and Black led by 10 after the first quarter, by four at halftime and by six at the end of the third. Though it wasn’t the most well-played game by either team, San Antonio was in control throughout with a lead that grew to as big as 14. By contrast, the Wizards’ biggest advantage came at the very end when they went up five points with 5.1 seconds remaining following a Daniel Gafford dunk off an offensive rebound.
The statistics indicate the Spurs have played much worse this season. They shot a respectable 46.7 percent from the field and a very good 40% from three-point range. The free throw line didn’t give them any issues at all. They made 15 of 17 attempts. And while their 14 turnovers weren’t great, that’s not terrible. In fact, Washington turned it over 18 times in winning Monday night.
In sports, the word setback is sometimes synonymous with loss. It truly fits the Spurs effort against a Wizards squad that, even with this win, still trails the Spurs with just nine victories on the season.
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