DeMar DeRozan has only played about half of an NBA season under Gregg Popovich, but the four-time All-Star already seems quite familiar with how the San Antonio Spurs coach operates.
The Spurs got off to a sluggish start in their game against the Boston Celtics on Monday night, scoring just 17 points in the first quarter and trailing 52-46 heading into the half. They then matched their entire first half production by exploding for 46 points in the third quarter en route to an eventual 120-111 victory. When asked what changed from the first half to the second, DeRozan had a very simple explanation.
Demar DeRozan on what changed in the 2nd Half vs The Celtics "We got cussed out by Pop" pic.twitter.com/DzCOQvF4wQ
— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) January 1, 2019
“We got cussed out by Pop,” DeRozan told reporters with a straight face after the game. “Us not being aggressive, going out there real tentative, we had to change that.”
It was pretty obvious that Popovich and DeRozan have a strong relationship with the way Pop trolled DeRozan over his defensive play early in the season, so the latest comments aren’t really a surprise. Like many others before him, DeRozan clearly has a great deal of respect for his five-time NBA champion coach.
