San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich ripped Zaza Pachulia on Monday, a day after the Warriors center got underneath Kawhi Leonard just as he rose for a jump shot. Leonard landed on Pachulia’s foot and re-injured the ankle that kept him sidelined for Game 6 against the Rockets.
Not only did Golden State erase a 23-point third-quarter deficit to win Game 1 after Leonard was gone for good, but the Spurs star has now been officially ruled out for Game 2, as well. Popovich was clearly angry about the play when speaking to reporters, citing Pachulia’s history of recent incidents, while calling the play against Leonard a “totally unnatural closeout.