Hard Work is a TALENT...💯💯💯

Proud of the way @thestephena_ handled himself last night in the face of some rude comments. Journalistic integrity is important to us and probably the first thing we talk to new writers about. Stephen immediately corrected a mistake many others also made like the pro he is

Forbes praised Duncan for "taking control" but also liked how the assistants tag-teamed it: "Timeouts, no one sat in the chair. Everybody put their two cents in....It was really…whichever coach had something to say, they would say it. I think it was good like that." #Spurs

Forbes on state of #Spurs: "It’s tough, but everybody knows what we are capable of. I don’t think spirits are down. It’s just a little frustrating to lose two games like that that we could have, should have won. We had full control and just let it go. We will bounce back."

Gregg Popovich ejected, Tim Duncan takes over, a 26-point deficit becomes a 15-point lead, a coaches challenge goes foul, DeMar DeRozan calls BS ... It all adds up to the Spurs' fifth straight loss and their longest losing streak since 2010-11 expressnews.com/sports/spurs/a…

Last word from DeRozan: "I’m not a good actor. I am just out there playing hard, and I expect the refs to make the right call. Like I said, I guess I need to take some acting classes." #Spurs

More from a clearly frustrated DeRozan on the officiating:
"I guess you got to go out there and flail and flop and sell it these days. That’s what a lot of players are doing, and they get the calls. But you try to be aggressive and physical, I guess that gets overlooked."

"It takes one (win) to change the course," said LaMarcus Aldridge after tonight's game.

The Spurs are projected to win 38.4 games now.

Per CTG, they're playing like a 35.4 win team.

If the season ended today, they'd be projected to get the 10th pick in the lottery.

The Spurs and Blazers are tied at 11th out West now.

A #Spurs spokesperson confirmed that Duncan handled the head coaching duties after Pop's ejection because he had scouted the Blazers.

The Blazers made 57% of their NON-PAINT TWOs tonight.

They became the 3rd Spurs opponent to finish with over a point per mid-range shot.

Attached is the Spurs and opponent shooting from mid-range so far this season: projectspurs.com/2019/10/23/ps-… pic.twitter.com/wfrJHn0doO

Tim Duncan declined to comment on how he and fellow assistants Becky Hammon and Will Hardy handled the coaching duties after Pop's ejection. Per Matt Bonner on the post-game broadcast, Duncan served as head coach because he had scouted the Blazers. #Spurs

The Spurs have now trailed by 19, 19, 24, 16, and 23 at home this season.

Their record when down by 10 falls to 1-7.

Scoring breakdown for the Spurs and Blazers through 2 games this season.

Top - Game 1
Bottom - Tonight's game pic.twitter.com/zTAIwLVNQu

DeMar said the players did not know beforehand who would call the shots in the case of a Pop ejection: "We didn't know. We just went out there and played. Whatever Tim called, drew up, we tried to execute it." #Spurs

For those keeping track of matters of coaching history, Popovich said after the game Tim Duncan was the Spurs' acting head coach tonight

DeMar on not getting the call after Hood whacked him in the face: "Yeah, I'm frustrated. I still don't understand it. Clearly, I got hit in the face before anything else happened. I don't know. I guess I got to be dramatic or flail or something." #Spurs

DeMar DeRozan, frustrated with guys in striped shirts of late. "The refs cost us a game and what? We get an apology later on? It's bullshit to me."

Last year the Spurs fell 3 games under .500 by December 5.

This year they’ve reached that mark by November 16.

“I thought we competed for more of the 48 than we have in other games,” said Coach Pop of the Spurs in the loss.

Pop said though the team lost, the players should be able to sleep better knowing that they made the comeback but couldn’t close it out down the stretch.

Pop said "Timmy" was the head coach after he was ejected. Asked if there was any consideration of allowing Becky Hammon to make history as the first woman to coach a North American male pro sports team - NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, Pop said, "I'm not here to make history." #Spurs

“Timmy was,” said Coach Pop of who was handling head coaching duties once he was ejected.

That fire the team played with after Pop's ejection seemed to fizzle out and effort level was different. Seemed to be right after Patty and Lonnie checked out

The Spurs fall to the Blazers 121-116.

The Spurs are now...

...5-8 overall
...4-4 at home
...lost 7 of their last 8
...lost 5 games in a row for the first time since the 2011 season

This is gonna be such a fun L2M report tomorrow, ladies and gents

Holy crap the challenge somehow made it worse.

Loose ball foul called on DeRozan after the challenge.

Well I guess not.

Under replay rules, I believe officials can now call that foul on Hood wacking DeRozan in the face on the drive.

The Spurs and Portland giving double digit leads away pic.twitter.com/9aBjfZM6hO

Game tied at 111 all with 1:28 left.

Portland had a 23-point lead.

Then the Spurs led by 15. pic.twitter.com/tU7bDC8CfL

Spurs are going to have to manage at least one basket in the final five minutes to win this one, methinks.

Spurs have got to get better shots here.

Whichever of these coaches drew that up got Derrick White a more or less unimpeded path to the basket

This #Spurs game has been unbelievable. Tim Duncan, Becky Hammon and Will Hardy take over after Gregg Popovich’s ejection...to see a franchise legend and Hammon, who has broken coaching barriers, is historic. #ksatsports #ksatnews #NBA #GoSpursGo

After that last miss, the Blazers are now 2/14 from three in the second half.

Spurs by 6 with 4:03 left.

One of these three coaches might need to call timeout

Russ just asks James in the hallway, “what are you doing?”

“Just trying to get better.” - Harden.

Harden was literally doing a postgame workout. After 49 points. On the second night of a back-to-back.

Spurs turned a 23-point deficit into a 15-point lead, but here come the Blazers.

The Spurs have LED by double digits in 58% of their games this season.

They enter 4-2 when leading by 10.

So apparently they are calling this a three-person head coach “by committee,” which still makes Hammon’s inclusion historic, and also validates all of my emailers who tell me Popovich is a communist.

7 STRAIGHT!!!!!!! ROCKETS WIN!!!!!!!!!

Coach Duncan is now standing and directing the players where to go.

Impressive drive there by Lonnie. Defense closes out on him and he drives and finishes over two defenders with the layup.

Spurs, having once trailed by 23 points, lead 96-90 heading to the fourth. This is going to be a crushing loss for one of these teams.

Good defensive quarter there from SA, outscoring Portland 38-24.

The Spurs are a +14 from the paint so far. pic.twitter.com/KYQuCky358

49 points for Harden as he gets subbed out

So here's the dynamic from the press seats way up here: Looks like Becky is running the coach's huddle out on the court. She hands the clipboard to Duncan, who then leads the team huddle. It's ... fascinating.

Coach Hammon, Duncan, and Hardy running the timeouts for SA right now with Pop ejected. pic.twitter.com/VY5jU2J2Zn

The Spurs have now comeback from 19 and 23 points against Portland this season.

They won the first one and they're up by 4 with 2:17 left in the 3Q right now.