Popovich overtakes Wilkens for 2nd-most all-time coaching wins
Gregg Popovich is within touching distance of history.
The San Antonio Spurs took down the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-106 on Wednesday to give Popovich his 1,333rd career win as a head coach, breaking a tie with Lenny Wilkens for second on the all-time leaderboard.
Popovich is now just three wins away from surpassing Don Nelson's record 1,335 victories.
All-time coaching wins
| Rank | Coach | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don Nelson | 1335 | 1063 | .557 |
| 2 | Gregg Popovich | 1333 | 689 | .659 |
| 3 | Lenny Wilkens | 1332 | 1155 | .536 |
| 4 | Jerry Sloan | 1221 | 803 | .603 |
| 5 | Pat Riley | 1210 | 694 | .636 |
Wednesday's victory was San Antonio's final game before the NBA's All-Star break, meaning Popovich will have to wait to attempt to set the record. However, the 73-year-old could still break the mark in February.
Upcoming Spurs schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 25 | Wizards | Away |
| Feb. 26 | Heat | Away |
| Feb. 28 | Grizzlies | Away |
| March 3 | Kings | Home |
| March 5 | Hornets | Away |
| March 7 | Lakers | Home |
Popovich recorded his first career win in 1996 after naming himself Spurs head coach 18 games into the season. His career .659 winning percentage is second only to Phil Jackson (.704) among the top-10 coaches.
Spurs forward Keldon Johnson led his squad with 22 points in Wednesday's win. Big man Jakob Poeltl contributed with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists as San Antonio improved to 23-36 to remain in the hunt for a play-in seed.