Grizzlies’ Fizdale receives pink slip
The Memphis Grizzlies fired coach David Fizdale on Monday, with the team at 7-12 and a day after he benched center Marc Gasol for the fourth quarter of an eighth straight loss.
General manager Chris Wallace announced the move. Associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been named interim coach.
Gasol, given a maximum deal by the Grizzlies in July 2015, sat throughout the fourth quarter of a 98-88 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. The team’s leading scorer and rebounder spent plenty of time after the game making it clear to reporters how upset he was at sitting out a full quarter.
Fizdale became the franchise’s 13th head coach on May 29, 2016, and he went 50-51.
The Grizzlies reached the postseason for a seventh straight time in Fizdale’s first season, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
This will be the second time as an interim coach for Bickerstaff, who will start Wednesday night at San Antonio. He joined the Grizzlies in June 2016 after five seasons with the Rockets, including an interim coach stint that lasted most of 2015-16 and included a playoff berth. Bickerstaff went 37-34 in that role.
MONDAY’S GAMES
Andre Drummond scored 26 points with 22 rebounds to lead Detroit to a 118-108 win at Boston. … LeBron James had 30 points lead Cleveland to a 113-91 win at Philadelphia. … Victor Oladipo scored 26 points to help host Indiana beat Orlando 121-109. … Damian Lillard scored 32 points, and Portland won 103-91 at New York. … LaMarcus Aldridge had 33 points, and San Antonio beat visiting Dallas 115-104.