By Jamie Barton, CNN
(CNN) — San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovitch missed his fourth straight sport since struggling an undisclosed well being situation, as his group recorded a 118-105 victory over the Portland Path Blazers Thursday night.
Popovich fell unwell about two and a half hours earlier than San Antonio’s sport in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves SATURDAY. He’s resting at house and remaining absent for an indefinite interval, Shams Charania of ESPN reported Monday.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson stepped in as interim head coach for Saturday’s sport and has remained in that position for the three video games since. Earlier than Thursday’s win, Johnson was requested if he may make clear whether or not Popovich would return this season.
“I’d say he’s OK,” Johnson advised reporters. “We talked. I’ve had my fingers full and I am making an attempt to remain above water. So, I have not talked about particulars and I am undecided of something.
CNN reached out to the Spurs a number of instances for touch upon Popovich’s situation, however obtained no response.
That is the third time Johnson has changed Popovich, though his earlier two tenures lasted only one sport — as soon as when Popovich fell unwell earlier than a sport in opposition to the Indiana Pacers in March 2023 and the opposite when the coach attended to the Tim Duncan Corridor of Fame. induction in 2021.
Duncan himself additionally changed Popovich when he was a Spurs assistant, as did Mike Budenholzer, Becky Hammon and Brett Brown.
At 75, Popovich is the longest-serving head coach in NBA historical past. At present in his twenty ninth season – which he spent solely with the Spurs – he has 1,390 common season wins, an NBA report. He received 170 playoff video games and 5 NBA championships.
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was optimistic about his coach’s well being. “We don’t hear quite a bit about Pop,” he advised reporters after Thursday’s sport. “They preserve us knowledgeable as a lot as we’re allowed to know. So I am not anxious about him. I do know he’ll come again quickly. We do not speak to him immediately a lot.
Contributions got here from in all places for the Spurs on Thursday, with Keldon Johnson and Malaki Branham every scoring 17 factors, Zach Collins, Stephon Fort and Julian Champagnie every including 14 and Wembanyama scoring 12.
Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton every had 21 factors for the Path Blazers, with the latter additionally recording 10 rebounds.
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