Duncan reflects on coaching Spurs to win 'in the big-boy chair'

With Gregg Popovich unavailable due to personal reasons, Tim Duncan got his first win serving as the San Antonio Spurs' active head coach with the team's 104-103 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.

Duncan, who joined the Spurs as an assistant coach in July, reflected on the experience of occupying a lead role from the opening tip.

"It's night and day to be in the big-boy chair," Duncan said postgame, according to ESPN.

"But truth be told, I wasn't in the big-boy chair," Duncan continued. "We've got (Spurs assistants) Becky (Hammon) and Will (Hardy) and Mitch (Johnson). Mitch prepped the game for us, Becky and Will were making all the calls, and I was the only one just standing there screaming at people - nonsensical stuff.

"So we did it coach by committee, and it could've been any one of us up there and we would've done exactly the same stuff."

While this marked the first time Duncan served as the Spurs' lead bench boss for the entirety of a game, the future Hall of Famer did take over for Popovich during a contest in mid-November after the latter was ejected in the third quarter of a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Popovich is expected to return for Friday's game against the Brooklyn Nets, assistant coach Will Hardy said, according to the San Antonio Express-News' Tom Orsborn.