Jay King: Gerald Green helped swing CHI series, but understands this ones different: “That series is so far over with I can’t even think about that.”
Jay King: Gerald Green helped swing CHI series, but und…
April 20, 2018 | 12:36 pm EDT Update
The Charlotte Hornets will act quickly to interview San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina for their head-coaching opening, as soon as the Spurs season is complete. A source familiar the situation said Messina will interview as early as the middle of next week, if the Spurs are eliminated by the Golden State Warriors by then.
Messina, 58, was a highly successful International coach (four European championships) in Italy, Spain and Russia before joining Popovich’s staff in 2016. He has a previous connection to new Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak, from when Messina served as a consultant to Kupchak’s previous team, the Los Angeles Lakers, in 2012.
Candace Buckner: Bradley Beal said Scott Brooks “apologized”to him. Brooks took the blame for Beal’s Game 2 offensive struggles. He took 11 shots. “I guess he figured I wasn’t shooting the ball enough and I guess he thought that was his fault. I don’t know. He’s… confidence giver .”
Spurs guard Tony Parker spoke frankly Thursday night about how difficult it was for him to go through with the game after the death of Erin Popovich, who he said was like a second mom to him when he joined the team at age 19 in 2001. “It was very tough,” Parker said after the 110-97 loss to the Warriors. “Sad day. Tough to play basketball tonight.”
Despite his deep sadness, Parker finished Game 3 with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting in 17 minutes. It was his best offensive game since he scored 23 points in a win over Memphis on March 5. “I think he probably felt better (physically) and was more aggressive and played his best game in the last three or four weeks,” said Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina, who directed the team in the absence of Gregg Popovich.
Parker entered Thursday’s game averaging just 2.0 points in 9.9 minutes over the first two games of the series, which the Warriors now lead 3-0. “I played more and had more opportunities,” Parker said. “When you come off of the bench sometimes, it’s going to go your way, sometimes it’s not going to go your way. And so tonight, I had a little bit more opportunities, and then I played on that.”
