Paul, Spurs determined to compete 'hard' for Popovich amid absence

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LOS ANGELES -- In the wake of coach Gregg Popovich's indefinite absence from the San Antonio Spurs due to a health issue, point guard Chris Paul said the club wants "to play hard and compete for Pop because he set a standard."

"You guys have seen it here for years. We all have," Paul said. "So, that's the thing that we want to try to focus on right now is going out there and playing. Because we know if we don't defend, we know we are going to hear about it."

Popovich, 75, suffered a health issue before Saturday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and assistant Mitch Johnson -- who took over and guided the team to a 113-103 win -- will serve as the interim head…