SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves without their head coach, Gregg Popovich, who missed the game on Saturday night due to an undisclosed health issue.

Mitch Johnson, the assistant coach, stepped in to fulfill head coaching responsibilities in Popovich’s absence. He reported that he was notified approximately two and a half hours before the game that the 75-year-old coach would not be able to participate.

“He’s not feeling well,” Johnson mentioned, showing understanding that such situations can occur. “This has happened before. I think everybody’s just going to have to be ready for the next person to step up. We’ve encountered this with injuries and occasionally people getting sick or facing other life events. Right now, he just isn’t feeling his best.”

Popovich, renowned as the NBA’s all-time leader with 1,390 regular-season wins and an additional 170 victories in the playoffs, has secured five championship titles during his tenure. He is currently in his 29th season as head coach, dedicating his entire career to the Spurs.