Ettore Messina to coach San Antonio Spurs in Game 5

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina will once again serve as coach of the team in the NBA playoffs.

Messina, who has coached the Spurs since Game 3, will continue in that role for Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors (10:30 ET, TNT). The Spurs won Game 4 on Sunday — which Messina also coached — to stave off elimination against the Warriors.

Here’s more from Cody McCrary of the San Antonio Express-News on Messina’s role:

First assistant Ettore Messina will handle the Spurs coaching duties again on Tuesday while coach Gregg Popovich mourns the death of his wife, Erin Popovich.

The Spurs return to Oakland to face the Golden State Warriors at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Facing elimination on Sunday afternoon, the team rallied to a 103-90 win and head to the West Coast trailing the Warriors 3-1 in their first-round series.

Messina also led the team in Game 3 last Thursday where the Spurs fell 110-97.

On Monday the team also announced it would be without All-Star Kawhi Leonard once again. Leonard played in just nine games this season and is in New York rehabbing a right quadriceps injury.

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