Gregg Popovich rips 'pathetic' Spurs after loss to Knicks

Gregg Popovich says the Spurs didn't respect game, Knicks after overtime loss

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich ripped into his team after they lost 104-100 in overtime to the lowly New York Knicks, calling the performance "pathetic."

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Knicks are the first team in NBA history to enter a game this late in a season with a .200 winning percentage or below and beat a defending champion.

The Spurs blew a 13-point lead in the third quarter and shot 38 percent. New York came into the game with the league’s worst record.

"We didn't respect the game, we didn't respect our opponent," Popovich said, according to the New York Post. "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."

The loss dropped the Spurs to 41-25, good for seventh place in the Western Conference.

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Popovich praised the job that the Knicks and coach Derek Fisher did to come back and win the game.

"They were really good," Popovich said. "I take my hat off to him, a really difficult year and watching Derek conduct himself the way he has all year long is a really impressive thing. He and the coaches deserve a lot of credit and the players were fantastic tonight. They moved the ball better than we did, they played better team basketball."

San Antonio finishes up their short road trip on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. New York plays the Minnesota Timberwolves, who at 14-52 have the NBA’s second-worst record, on Thursday.

- Scooby Axson