Gregg Popovich has tied Hall of Famer Don Nelson for first place on the NBA’s career coaching wins leaderboard.
Popovich tied Don Nelson’s NBA record with his 1,335th career victory as a coach in the San Antonio Spurs’ 117-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Popovich, in his 26th season, will try to pass Nelson when San Antonio hosts the Toronto Raptors.
The Spurs had lost four straight games with their coach on the precipice of matching the record, and they were in danger of extending that slide with a late collapse against the struggling Lakers, who were without LeBron James due to a sore left knee.
All five of Spurs’ starters finished in double figures, led by a game-high 26 points from 2022 All-Star Dejounte Murray and 18 apiece from guard Josh Richardson and center Jakob Poeltl.
Third-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker led the Los Angeles Lakers with 18 points while Russell Westbrook added 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and five turnovers in 35 minutes in the absences of their most potent weapons in Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
James was a late scratch after scoring a season-high 56 points in a victory over the Golden State Warriors in the previous game.
The 73-year-old Popovich, a five-time champion and three-time Coach of the Year will have the opportunity to own the head coaching wins record outright when the Toronto Raptors visit San Antonio on Wednesday night.
Popovich is a lock for enshrinement in the NBA Hall of Fame after a career in which he’s coached Spurs greats including David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
San Antonio, however, is 25-40 this season, and already assured of a third straight losing season after 22 consecutive finishes over .500.
