Published 11:15 IST, March 4th 2020

Tim Duncan scores first win as Spurs' acting head coach over Michael Jordan's Hornets

Head coach Gregg Popovich's absence meant Spurs legend Tim Duncan took charge of his side against Hornets. Duncan's 1st game as HC saw Spurs pull a narrow win.

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San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan was the acting head coach on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning IST) during Spurs' 104-103 win over the Michael Jordan-owned Charlotte Hornets. Duncan scored his first victory as head coach as he took charge after Gregg Popovich missed the game due to 'personal reasons'.

October 31, 1997:
Tim Duncan’s first game as a Spurs player

March 3, 2020:
Tim Duncan’s first game as Spurs head coach pic.twitter.com/IFAwiLgzlN
— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 4, 2020

Also Read | Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan And Kevin Garnett Lead The List For NBA Hall Of Fame

Spurs vs Hornets highlights: Tim Duncan takes charge in narrow win

Widely regarded as one of the best players in Spurs' history, Tim Duncan took the courtside position, much to the joy of the Spurs supporters. The Spurs vs Hornets game went down to the wire but the Hornets were eventually beaten by the narrowest of margins. Dejounte Murray scored 21 points in 28 minutes, while also adding five rebounds and six assists. DeMar DeRozan and Bryn Forbes chipped in with 12 and 15 points respectively. Meanwhile, Terry Rozier and PJ Washington starred for the Hornets with a combined 39 points.

Also Read | Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan Make 2020 Basketball Hall Of Fame Final List

Spurs vs Hornets highlights: Tim Duncan wins on coaching debut

🏀 FINAL SCORE THREAD 🏀

Dejounte Murray scores a game-high 21 PTS to lead the @spurs to victory on the road.

Bryn Forbes: 15 PTS
Terry Rozier: 20 PTS pic.twitter.com/zXrUwLLRvF
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2020

Spurs vs Hornets highlights: Tim Duncan speaks after beating Michael Jordan's side

Tim Duncan addressed the media after the game stating he received massive help from fellow assistants Becky Hamon, Will Hardy and Mitch Johnson as he took the seat in the "big-boy chair", by his own admission.

"We had a 5-point lead and I'm thinking we're going to cruise until the end but we had to make it interesting." - Tim Duncan 🤣pic.twitter.com/S5Zxq2BiXW
— ClutchPoints NBA (@ClutchPointsNBA) March 4, 2020

While fans wondered if they could see Duncan leading a side sooner rather than later, Duncan shot down those opinions saying Gregg Popovich will be back and he will be happy to hand over the reins to him.

Also Read | Michael Jordan’s Poignant Kobe Tribute: ‘A Piece Of Me Died’

Spurs vs Hornets highlights

San Antonio Spurs are currently 11th in the Western Conference with a 26-34 (win-loss) record. Greg Popovich missed the game vs Hornets. However, it is not known whether he is expected to return to the bench for the Friday night (Saturday IST) game against Brooklyn Nets. Spurs have not provided any update at the time of writing.

Also Read | Joel Embiid Overtakes Tim Duncan, Becomes Fastest To Hit 2,000 Rebounds In NBA History

11:15 IST, March 4th 2020

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