Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter is focused on the NBA playoffs despite reports that new team owner Tom Dundon has been in contact with other candidates about potentially taking over the position.

“I’m just trying to be a pro,” Splitter told reporters before Portland’s 106-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night in Game 2 that evened their first-round playoff series at 1-1. “Try to focus on my locker room and my staff and try to stay and think about basketball. Same way when I got the job and all the stuff that was going on.”

Splitter, 41, was elevated to interim head coach in October, after Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of a sweeping federal investigation into illegal gambling activities. Federal prosecutors accused Billups, who was just days into his fifth season as the Trail Blazers’ head coach, of allegedly conspiring to rig high-stakes poker games backed by the Mafia.

Billups pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering and wire fraud in November. In his absence, Splitter guided a Trail Blazers team that missed the playoffs last season to a 42-40 record and a playoff berth.

“He got thrown in a difficult situation,” said forward Deni Avdija, who has emerged as an All-Star and finalist for the NBA Most Improved Player award under Splitter. “It wasn’t easy for him to just all of a sudden take the head job. But I think he’s done phenomenal. He’s getting the best out of everybody.

“He’s believing in each and single one of his players, and we love playing for him. He’s a winner. He’s a competitor. He knows how it is to win a championship. He’s passionate, and he got all the tools to be a great coach, and that’s what he’s doing.”

Splitter was also asked about Dundon’s aggressive cost-cutting measures since completing his acquisition of the team last month, which, according to The Athletic and other news outlets, include not allowing two-way players to travel with the team on the road for playoff games, no free T-shirts for fans in Portland and team staffers checking out of hotels early to avoid late fees.

Splitter addressed the team before Tuesday’s Play-In Tournament victory over the Phoenix Suns.

“I mentioned that it’s not the time to be on your social media and reading everything that is going on out there, or even on TV,” Splitter said. “A couple of coaches that I’ve had gave that advice to me. I know it’s hard. Social media is part of our lives. But try to just focus on basketball.”

According to The Athletic’s Jason Quick, Splitter expressed concern behind closed doors that his staff’s early checkout times might hamper their ability to assist the team properly.

“I told (Splitter) he can’t be focused on this while he is about to coach his most important game,” a confidant whom Splitter called, who was granted anonymity to speak freely. “And he was like, ‘But what if the masseuse decides that she doesn’t want to do a good job because she’s angry, and then she doesn’t do a good job on Deni? Then it affects me, too.’ ”

Dundon, as The Athletic reported, has discussed the head-coach position with several college coaches, including St. Louis University’s Josh Schertz and Iowa’s Ben McCollum. Former NBA championship-winning coach Michael Malone was also contacted before he chose to take the job at North Carolina.

Though a team source denied that Dundon is not looking to spend heavily on a new coach, Splitter or otherwise, the practice of actively looking for a new coach while one is still working, especially in the playoffs, is frowned upon in league circles.

“The amount of disrespect (toward Splitter) that’s going on is beyond description,” a league source said. “It’s like, every day, a new name is coming up. It’s the most vicious thing I’ve encountered in 30-plus years.”

Game 3 is at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) Friday at the Moda Center in Portland.

— Jared Weiss contributed to this story.