Spurs At Thunder Preview: Is Gregg Popovich A 'Secret Weapon' In Playoffs?

Legendary NBA coach Don Nelson once told me that he'd sort of "schedule'' a locker-room tantrum featuring the throwing of a folding chair "only a few times a year.''

Said Nellie way back when: "You can only do it so often before it loses its effectiveness.''

Fast-forward to the Western Conference Finals, as the San Antonio Spurs are tied 2-2 with the Oklahoma City Thunder as they prep for Tuesday's Game 5.

Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox recently revealed that the iconic Gregg Popovich walked into the Spurs locker room after their 123-108 Game 3 loss to OKC on Friday night to scold the team for not not playing championship basketball.

"That was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, 'Nah, that's BS. That's not how we play basketball," Fox told NBC. "Obviously, he had some choice words for us."

Before that? We've seen Popovich huddled in a corner after a Spurs practice, consulting 7-4 French superstar Victor Wembanyama.

So a little Pop here and a little Pop there.

Should the Spurs go to that well again, seeking inspiration from a coach in Popovich, who is arguably the best coach in NBA history?

Pop coached the Spurs for 29 seasons and won five NBA titles before stepping away from the bench during the 2024-25 season, now serves as the franchise's president of basketball operations. Mitch Johnson has run the team as head coach since Popovich's transition to the front office.

Along the way, Nellie served as a mentor to Pop, and eventually gave way to him as the NBA's all-time winningest regular-season head coach.

As Nellie said after Pop stepped down: “Pop is simply the best to ever do it, not only in terms of number of wins, but who he was, and is, as a person. An amazing coach and human being.''

And right about now? San Antonio could use some "amazing.''

READ MORE: 'Pray For Wemby!' Charles Barkley Jabs At Spurs Before Game 4 vs. Thunder

Maybe, after their 103-82 blowout of the Thunder in Game 4, the Spurs can keep rolling. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was limited to 19 points, while the Spurs captured what was essentially a must-win contest as Wembanyama had 33 points and eight rebounds while San Antonio led by as many as 25 points.

Is there an inspirational word that Pop can offer for Game 5 and beyond? A strategic nugget? Can he serve as a "secret weapon'' by again huddling in a corner here or marching into the locker room there?

READ MORE: Spurs Address De'Aaron Fox Trade Rumors Amid Playoff Run

Game 5 , which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday (NBC, Peacock), has OKC as a 5.5-point favorite.

Are he Spurs talented enough and resilient enough to overcome the odds against a loaded OKC team on the road?

“We’ll get anything we get, any advantage, any edge, so we’re going to use that,” Spurs coach Johnson said after Game 4.

He was talking about being able to rest his stars in that blowout win. But I bet "any advantage, any edge'' might also include a little Pop - no folding-chair-throwing necessary.

READ MORE: Chet Holmgren Outlines Key Difference Between Thunder and Spurs