SAN ANTONIO — With four games remaining in the 1999-00 regular season and a playoff run on the horizon, Gregg Popovich faced one of the toughest decisions of his career.
Tim Duncan, the Spurs eventual five-time champion and MVP, had torn the lateral meniscus in his left knee during Game 78 of the season. It was an injury that played a role in halting San Antonio’s quest for back-to-back titles, but Popovich wasn’t going to risk the future and longevity of a franchise player in search of a ring.
The Spurs faced similar circumstances ahead of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday.