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SALT LAKE CITY — When asked about Gregg Popovich potentially becoming the NBA's all-time winningest coach before Friday's game in San Antonio, Jazz coach Quin Snyder talked about Popovich the person.
Snyder focused on the relationships Popovich had built through the years — the relationships with his staff, his players, other coaches, and everyone else he came in contact with.
"They don't keep records for wins for those but I would think he broke the record for those a long time ago," Snyder said.
Snyder hoped, though, he'd have to wait at least another game to celebrate reaching the top of the coaching list. Alas, hopes can be fickle — just like Utah's late-game leads.
Popovich led his Spurs back from 15 down in the fourth quarter to top the Jazz 104-102 Friday at AT&T Center to pass Don Nelson to become the winningest NBA coach of all time.
After the game, Spurs players jumped around the 26th year coaching veteran as he, in true Popovich fashion, tried to brush them away as he walked to the locker room.
It's not the first time the Jazz have been on the opposite side as NBA history was made. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA all-time leading scorer in a game against Utah and Michael Jordan's final shot as a Bull also comes to mind.
The Jazz were held scoreless for over seven minutes in the third quarter, and Donovan Mitchell's first points of the second half came with just over two minutes left in the game.
If you just knew those two things you probably would have thought it would have been a pretty easy win for Popovich.
In reality, it's a contest the Jazz should have won.
With 10 minutes left, Utah led by 15 points. The Jazz had overcome Mitchell's slow second half, Mike Conley's poor shooting night and an offensive drought that rarely is seen to take a sizable lead.
Mitchell scored 24 points, but had just 6 in the second half. Conley had 8 points and was 2 of 14 from the field in one of his worst shooting nights as a member of the Jazz.
But like has happened over and over again this season, the lead quickly evaporated.
The Spurs went on a 10-1 run in less than two minutes, and by the 5:28 mark had caught the Jazz — a 15-point lead gone in less than five minutes.
"They were able to make some shots in the mid range; they got to spots that they're really comfortable at and we weren't able to get them out of those positions," Conley said.
Utah couldn't score in the third quarter, yet still won that it 15-14 to go into the fourth with a 10-point lead. As the game got to the closing minutes, they couldn't find stops.
Dejounte Murray had 15 points in the final quarter as the Jazz failed to adjust to San Antonio's pick-and-roll offense. Murray used screens to get free for midrange looks or drives to the basket, and the Jazz's offense couldn't keep up.
The miscues didn't end there.
"I don't know that there's one thing — the pick-and-roll (defense), the free throw blockout, a clear path foul that gave them a boost, Rudy's offensive foul, I thought we fouled too much," Snyder said.
Royce O'Neale missed a box out with 14 seconds remaining and allowed an offensive rebound on a free throw — Snyder called that "a dagger." Rudy Gobert was hit with a flagrant foul when his size 20 shoe found the groin area of Josh Richardson. Danuel House Jr. made a bad foul on a 3-point attempt. It all added up.
"Different things like that really led to him being able to chip away at our lead," Conley said.
And led to the Jazz being once again a footnote in NBA history.
"I'm grateful for the opportunities that he's provided me," Snyder said of Popovich after the game. "And we competed — just like he would want. We obviously wanted to win the game, and that didn't happen."
