As the Spurs’ rematch against the Denver Nuggets curdled into a foregone conclusion at some point in the third quarter, the rest of the night began to write itself. The San Antonio bench cleared, fans took to the exits, and any media member headed down to Gregg Popovich’s postgame presser might have guessed not only the tone but the beats: an unimpressed Pop would appear and, in a short, prepared statement, respectfully compliment his opponents, do the opposite for his own team, and leave without taking questions.
The Spurs coach obliged shortly after:
“Denver set a good example of how you react after a loss, and we did the opposite,” said Pop.