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ATLANTA -- The chase has finally ended for Lenny Wilkens.
Wilkens became the winningest coach in NBA history Friday night, with No. 939, when his Atlanta Hawks beat the Washington Bullets 112-90, moving him past Red Auerbach on his fourth attempt.
With the game no longer in doubt, assistant coach Dick Helm gave Wilkens a cigar, drawing a big smile from nonsmoker Wilkens, and then gave him a light.
The normally stoic Wilkens kept smiling through the final minute and told the crowd after the game, "I lit the cigar up as a testament to Red Auerbach, who I think was one of the finest coaches in the NBA."
The record came in the 32nd game of Wilkens' 22nd season, lifting his record to 939-793, a .542 percentage. Wilkens has one NBA title, in 1979, in the second of his two stints with Seattle, and also has coached at Cleveland and Portland.
Auerbach, the cigar-chomping genius who built the Boston Celtics into a dynasty, had a 938-479 record, a .662 percentage, during his 20 seasons at the helm.
Kenny Norman led the Hawks with 23 points, and Mookie Blaylock added 20. Rookie Juwan Howard scored 16 for the Bullets.
Wilkens Wins 939, Sets Mark
10 January 1995
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