Raptors prevented Gregg Popovich from making history in Spurs win

The Toronto Raptors got back on track against the San Antonio Spurs, as their 119-104 win helped them start what promises to be a very grueling road trip with a victory against a substandard opponent. The night wasn’t as memorable for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

Pop recently tied Don Nelson for the most regular-season wins in NBA history with 1,335. In a season where the Spurs are trying to get more assets for a rebuild, Popovich chasing the record has been one of the main reasons casual fans have flipped on San Antonio over the last few weeks.

Nick Nurse and the Raptors might have some reverence towards Popovich and the culture he has built in San Antonio, but they didn’t want to be on the wrong end of Pop’s historic night. After starting the second half at 2-5, Toronto managed to delay Popovich’s celebration.

Thanks to Fred VanVleet making his return in dominant fashion and leading the charge with 26 points, Popovich wasn’t able to make history at the expense of the Raptors. Toronto swept the season series against old friend Jakob Poeltl and the retooling Spurs.

The Toronto Raptors put history on hold for Gregg Popovich.

Scottie Barnes started slow, but he came alive in the second half with 18 points. Pascal Siakam hit 20 points once again in another typically excellent night while the 1-2 punch of Precious Achiuwa and Thad Young off of the bench gave Toronto solid fourth-quarter minutes.

Popovich just recently passed former Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens to leap into second place. While he has Nelson beat in total wins thanks to his innumerable postseason successes, Popovich needs one more elusive win to overtake him in the regular season. try as he might, he was unable to get that elusive win against Toronto.

If you’re feeling bad about Popovich potentially setting the record on the road rather than the friendly confines of San Antonio, don’t worry. The Spurs are currently on a seven-game homestand, meaning Popovich will get another chance to set the mark on Friday night when the Utah Jazz come to town.

Popovich has an argument to be made for being the greatest coach in NBA history, and what he’s done in San Antonio for over two decades while rarely getting top free agents is remarkable. Even so, his record-setting night will have to wait just a bit after Toronto caught fire in the second half.