Down a head coach and three stars, Spurs arrive at Target Center tonight

Spurs assistant Ettore Messina will coach for Gregg Popovich at Target Center. San Antonio is also without Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

March 9, 2016 at 1:15AM
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich signals to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, in San Antonio. (Tom Wallace — Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Spurs tonight make their final visit to Target Center this season and they are without head coach Gregg Popovich as well as their perhaps formerly Big Three: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

That means former Wolves guard Andre Miller is starting at point guard for the Spurs less than a week after he joined them once the Wolves bought him out and waived him.

"Crazy," Miller said before tonight's game.

The Spurs are starting Miller, Danny Green, LaMarcus Aldridge, David West and Kawhi Leonard.

Wolves coach Sam Mitchell said he'd feel better if it were Leonard and Aldridge who weren't playing tonight.

Spurs assistant Ettore Messina will coach for the second consecutive night for Popovich, who is away from the team due to a family medical emergency. You might remember Messina coached CSKA Moscow here in a preseason game four or five years ago.

He did before tonight's game, although his memory had to be jogged a little.

Duncan and Ginobili are being rested tonight and Parker is out because of a toe contusion.

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The Spurs lost last night in Indiana, only their 10th loss in 63 games this season.

Wolves backup center Greg Smith has a hurting toe, too, but he is expected to play tonight after missing last night's loss to Charlotte.

about the writer

about the writer

Jerry Zgoda

Reporter

Jerry Zgoda covers Minnesota United FC and Major League Soccer for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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