Brooks is fired by the Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder fired Scott Brooks on Wednesday, parting ways with a former NBA coach of the year who led the team to three conference finals in four years only to falter this season as his players were hit hard by injuries.
Brooks coached the Thunder for seven seasons. Starting in 2010-11, he led the team to the Western Conference finals three out of four years, and the Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012.
The Thunder failed to make the playoffs this past season, as injuries limited the team to a 45-37 finish.
Brooks was 338-207 (.620) with the Thunder and was the 2009-10 NBA coach of the year. Carlisle: Rondo done in Dallas
Rajon Rondo is out in Dallas.
Rick Carlisle made that clear when asked if he thought the free agent-to-be would wear a Mavericks uniform again. “No, I don’t,” the coach said.
The Mavericks announced Wednesday that Rondo injured his back before the last of several times the point guard was benched in four months under Carlisle — almost all of the second half of a 111-99 loss to Houston on Tuesday night that gave the Rockets a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.
Game 3 is Friday night in Dallas, and the Mavericks also will be without Chandler Parsons. The forward is out for the rest of the playoffs with a right knee injury that will require surgery.
Carlisle tried to sidestep a question about the timing of the Rondo announcement before giving the much more direct answer about the 29year-old guard’s future in Dallas. Hawks to be sold for $850 million
A group headed by billionaire Antony Ressler has agreed to purchase the Atlanta Hawks for $850 million.
The team announced the deal Wednesday night during the first half of the Hawks’ playoff game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The sale price was not released. But a person familiar with the deal, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the two sides did not reveal that information, said Ressler’s group would pay $850 million, including debt the team owes.
Former NBA star Grant Hill is part of the new ownership group.
The Hawks went on the market after discovering an inflammatory email written by co-owner Bruce Levenson in 2012, complaining about the racial makeup of the team’s fans. On the heels of Donald Sterling’s forced ouster as owner of the Clippers under similar circumstances, Levenson announced he would sell his share of the Hawks. Etc.
Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic will miss Thursday’s playoff game at Milwaukee because of an injured left knee. Rockets guard Jason Terry was fined $5,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s antiflopping rules during Game 2 against the Mavericks.