The Knicks beat the Spurs last night. Let us repeat that: The Knicks beat the Spurs last night. And no one was more surprised about it than Gregg Popovich.
Typically, Coach Pop doesn't rip into his team through the media after losses. He's got a veteran bunch of guys who know how to handle themselves after taking an L. But after San Antonio went down in New York on Tuesday night, he went out of his way to rip into his team for not bringing enough effort during the contest.
"We didn't respect the game," he said, "we didn't respect our opponent. It was a pathetic performance and I hope that every player is embarrassed. Not because 'we are supposed to win the game' but it is about how you play the game."
Popovich went on to say that the Knicks "were really good" last night. He also gave Derek Fisher & Co. a lot of credit for playing "better team basketball" than the Spurs. But he was clearly frustrated with the way his team performed and didn't hold back.
That being said, he also didn't let it stop him from injecting a little bit of his usual Pop humor into the end of his powwow with reporters.
"Not much else to say," he said, seconds before walking away. "It's been a joy, have a good night."
Ha. The Spurs return to action against the Bucks tonight and we'd expect them to win by 30.
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[via For The Win]
