Spurs also excited to see former assistant Borrego back in town
Tony Parker isn’t the only member of the Charlotte Hornets set to enjoy a warm reunion with the Spurs on Monday night.
Hornets coach James Borrego also is returning to the AT&T Center after spending the last three seasons as an assistant under Gregg Popovich.
Borrego, 41, became the 11th head coach in Hornets history and one of the youngest skippers in the league when he signed a four-year deal in May.
The native of New Mexico began his NBA career as an assistant video coordinator with the Spurs in 2003. He spent seven seasons with the club, working his way up to assistant coach.
Borrego left the Spurs in 2010 for a stint as an assistant with New Orleans before joining Orlando in 2012, where he served as interim head coach for the final 30 games of the 2014-15 season. Borrego returned to the Spurs in 2015.
“I loved him as a coach,” Spurs guard Patty Mills said. “Obviously, he had been here before and he slid into that position very comfortably.”
Mills said he appreciated and enjoyed the “crystal clear” way Borrego delivered scouting reports and game plans.
“He is just a great guy, a family man, and I got fairly close to him,” Mills said.
Gay remains out: Rudy Gay (sprained left wrist) on Monday will miss his sixth game in the last eight contests and fifth in a row.
The Spurs listed the 13th-year forward as out in their injury report released Sunday.
With Saturday’s 122-112 loss to the Thunder, the Spurs are 4-5 this season when Gay is out. In the five games he’s missed since hurting his wrist on Dec. 29, the Spurs are 2-3, including 0-2 on the road.
Big-man battle a clean one: Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge said he enjoys his battles with the Thunder’s Steven Adams.
“I have nothing but respect for him,” Aldridge said after Saturday’s game. “We go at it, but we keep it clean. It’s never any funny business. That’s what I like about playing against him. There are never any games or funny business. It’s just two guys being physical, going at it.”
Adams got plenty of help defending Aldridge on Saturday. After erupting for a career-high 56 points in Thursday’s 154-147 double-overtime win over OKC, Aldridge was held to 17 points in the rematch to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and a steal in 33 minutes.
Adams, meanwhile, enjoyed an all-around performance that included 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 34 minutes after registering 19 points, seven rebounds, one assists, two steals and two blocks in 38 minutes Thursday.