featured-image

SAN ANTONIO’S GREGG POPOVICH NAMED WESTERN CONFERENCE COACH OF THE MONTH

SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 4, 2016) – San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has been named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in December. Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles earned the recognition for the month in the Eastern Conference.  Popovich guided the Spurs to a league-best 14-2 record in the month of December, including eight wins by at least 20 points, marking the best December in franchise history. The Silver and Black are currently 29-6 overall, tying the team’s best start through 35 games in franchise history. San Antonio was a perfect 10-0 record at home in December and have opened the year 20-0 at the AT&T Center, setting the franchise record for best home start. The Spurs have now won a franchise-best 29 straight games in San Antonio dating back to last season. The Spurs also posted a 4-2 record on the road during December, including a 51-point win at Philadelphia on 12/7 that set the franchise record for largest margin of victory. Popovich also passed Rick Adelman for eighth place on the NBA all-time wins list with his 1,043rd victory vs. Utah on 12/14. Popovich now has 1,051 career wins. For the month, San Antonio averaged 105.6 points on a league-best 50.7 percent shooting while holding its opponents to 87.1 points per game, best in the NBA. The Silver and Black had 10 different players average at least 6.0 points, led by Kawhi Leonard’s 19.1 points. The Spurs averaged a league-best 25.6 assists and had nine different players lead the team in assists in 16 games. Popovich has now won 16 NBA Coach of the Month awards in his career and is the only coach in NBA history to receive the recognition 16 times. The NBA’s Coach of the Month award first started in the 1982-83 season and later split into the Western and Eastern Conference awards beginning in the 2002-03 season.