The San Antonio Spurs came together for a dominant performance against the OKC Thunder in Game 4 on Sunday to even the series at 2-2. And Gregg Popovich might have his hand in how the Spurs responded after the results they had in Game 3. 

The Spurs played aggressively from the start of Game 4, especially on the defensive end, and led by as many as 25 points in the game. However, the Spurs guard, De’Aaron Fox, revealed post-game how the change in the side's strategy came after a few harsh words from Popovich following the Game 3 loss.

During his appearance on the post-game NBA Showtime, Fox said, “Pop’s been around throughout the course of the season, but that was the first time [after the Spurs' Game 3 loss] he walked into the locker room and was like, ‘Nah, that’s B*, that’s not how we play basketball.' That was the first time all season that he came into the locker room right after a game and told us how he felt.”

According to Fox, Popovich admonished the entire locker room with everyone inside it.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that,” Fox said. “Trainers, everybody’s in there. We close the doors, we don’t let anybody know what’s going on in here. … We open that door, we see Pop come in, and it’s like, ‘Awwww.'”

Spurs’ current head coach, Mitch Johnson, had taken over the interim head coach job in November 2024 after Popovich suffered a stroke. Next year, he stepped down from the position. Before the next season, he held a press conference, stood at the podium, and revealed his new position in the most Gregg Popovich style. He wore a T-shirt with “El Jefe” (Spanish for “The Boss”) written on it. 

Pop had taken the position of ‌basketball operations, but he was never away from his team. Now that he is getting better, Pop is stepping more on the court during practice and giving suggestions to the young stars. 

Victor Wembanyama talks Greg Popovich's impact on the Spurs

While the Spurs have won two series against the Portland Trail Blazers, they seem to be heading into a generational era. All this time, Popovich has been operating in the background, giving his feedback to the team and individuals if needed.

After Game 4 win, Victor Wembanyama shed light on how the legendary Spurs coach has been helping the team with experience.

“He maybe wanted to make a statement, or make his talking even more impactful, by being there,” Wembanyama said. “He gives feedback and talks to us regularly throughout our series, throughout our games. As always, when he speaks, everybody listens.”

In Game 4, Wembanyama was dominant from the first quarter. He ended the game with 33 points on 50% shooting from the field, along with 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in 31 minutes. Wemby and the Spurs will travel to Oklahoma for Game 5. 

Which team are you picking to win this series? Post your pick in the comments.

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Souvik Roy