Hawks fire Pierce after 2-plus years

The Hawks fired coach Lloyd Pierce on Monday less than halfway into a season that began with heightened expectations but was beset by injuries.

The Hawks are 14-20 and 11th in the Eastern Conference, following a 109-99 road loss to the Heat on Sunday night.

It was the Hawks’ 11th loss after holding a fourth-quarter lead.

Pierce, 44, hired in 2018, was 63-120 with the Hawks.

The Hawks named Nate McMillan interim coach. McMillan, the 56-year-old former Pacers coach, was added to Pierce’s staff in the offseason.

The Raptors-Pistons game scheduled for Tuesday night in Tampa, Fla., was moved to Wednesday. It was the Raptors’ second game in a row postponed due to COVID19 issues.

College basketball: Florida State and coach Leonard Hamilton agreed to a five-year extension through 2024-2025 that will pay him $2.25 million annually plus bonuses. Hamilton, 72, is the winningest coach in school history and has the 11th-ranked Seminoles on the verge of winning backto-back ACC regular-season titles. In his 19th season at FSU, Hamilton has won ACC coach of the year three times, two ACC titles and taken the Seminoles to seven NCAA tourneys . ... Albany and coach Will Brown agreed to part ways. Brown, 49, went 315-295 and earned five NCAA tourney berths in 20 years, but the Great Danes just completed their third straight losing season. ... The NIT will feature 16 teams rather than 32 and all of its games will be held in the Dallas-Fort Worth area later this month.

College football: Defending national champ Alabama plans to host full-capacity games at Bryant-Denny Stadium next season, AD Greg Byrne announced.

NFL: The Chiefs are hopeful QB Patrick Mahomes will be ready for minicamp in June, but are confident he will be 100% for training camp later in the summer. Mahomes underwent surgery for turf toe after the Super Bowl.

Soccer: Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, his adviser Jaume Masferrer, the club’s CEO Oscar Grau and head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti were arrested following a raid at the club’s offices at Camp Nou. The operation was related to last year’s “Barcagate,” in which club officials were accused of launching a smear campaign against current and former players who were critical of the club and then-president Bartomeu.

Tennis: Former world No. 1 and 20-time Grand Slam champ Roger Federer withdrew from this month’s Miami Open so he can spend extra time preparing to “work his way back out on tour,” his agent said. Federer, 39, who has won the event four times, hasn’t competed in more than a year after having two operations on his right knee last season. He’s still scheduled to make his return to the ATP tour next week in a hard-court tournament in Doha, Qatar. Women’s basketball: Texas A&M (22-1) moved up to No. 2, its highest ranking ever in The AP poll, a day after clinching its first SEC regular-season title with a 65-57 victory over then-No. 5 South Carolina. UConn remained No. 1.

PORT CHARLOTTE — Fans were excited Sunday — even under the distanced seating, limited capacity and other coronavirus pandemic restrictions — to see the Rays at home in person in nearly a year.

But they maybe were not as thrilled as the players were to have them there.

“It was amazing,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “We were talking about that during [pregame] stretch. … It’s kind of boring with them not being able to be in the stands.

“I feel like they are the energy at the stadium. They give us energy every time they’re there. Their support. That’s what we play for. We play for them, and the family. … It just felt so good to have them again, to hear them cheer for us.”

Announced attendance for the spring opener against the Braves was 1,127, pretty much the current Charlotte Sports Park capacity (with about 700-800 tickets actually sold, the rest for player and team use), down from around 6,800, due to restrictions of the league, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others.

To the Rays, it was still plenty of fans.

“It was pretty special just to see the kids out there wearing your jersey, the other players’ jerseys and getting that vibe back, that fun feeling back,” outfielder Austin Meadows said. “It was exciting.”

As a game, Sunday’s contest looked very much like a typical first exhibition, though with a dramatic ending: Rays minorleaguer Tristan Gray hit a two-run walkoff homer in the seventh and planned final inning to give the Rays a 9-7 win.

Otherwise, the teams labored for nearly three hours on a sweltering day, combining to use 14 pitchers who allowed 19 hits and other assorted sloppiness.

But it was obviously so much more than a game for all. It was a small, tentative step forward — maybe even a step toward normalcy — as the Rays are among the teams planning to host fans, albeit in a limited number (around 7,000) and with similarly distanced seating pods, at Tropicana Field

Rays utility player Mike Brosseau, right, bumps fists with teammates during an intrasquad game. for regular-season games. “Definitely worth it.” seats blocked off, or given squares

“Almost emotional,” said Elizabeth It was even more worth it for on the grass berm in somewhat of Cadicamo, a Rays fan from Sarah and Brett Gerdes of St. an alternating fashion. Masks are Clearwater Beach. Petersburg, who hadn’t seen a required except when eating or

When the Rays players and game in person since last March, drinking at your seat, and there coaches came out of their clubhouse before spring training was shut seemed to be general compliance. in the rightfield corner for down and the abbreviated season As the gates opened at 11:50 warmups, many made a point of was eventually played with no fans a.m. for the 1:05 start, the stadium acknowledging fans, with Adames until the postseason. sound crew appropriately played maybe breaking with protocol by So they were more than thrilled Pink’s Get the Party Started. There tossing balls to a few. to pack up their 1- and 4-year-old were other familiar sounds, such

“It was awesome,” manager sons, and all that entails for a ballpark as fans clanging cowbells, and not Kevin Cash said. “It was good to outing, to make the trip. only in response to the repeated see [the fans]. We’re so appreciative “I was like we can’t miss it,” “More cowbell” prompts. of them. The way they Brett Gerdes said. “We woke up But there also was an almost welcomed us back, it was nice to early and were ready to go. It’s eerie silence at times, given there be able to wave at a distance and incredibly exciting.” was no pumped-in crowd noise express to them … like, it’s great to Cadicamo, sitting with her twin as there was during 2020 regular-season have you here.” sister, Christina (the @TBRaysTwins games. Conversations

Alyssa Chippendale and Logan on Twitter), and parents, among players, coaches and Bunting of nearby North Port had Denise and Dan, all wearing Rays umpires occasionally could be gone to Arlington, Texas, for the masks, said the entry process heard, as could fan comments. Rays’ final World Series game last (free parking, electronic tickets, A couple of concession stands year, a game for which about 12,00 no temperature screening) was were open, offering the baseball fans were allowed. But they said smooth and they felt comfortable essentials —— hot dogs, peanuts, that seeing the Rays back at their in the stands. popcorn and beer — plus a few spring home was special, though “Very safe,” Christina said. other items, but the tents on the it felt a bit quiet and empty. Fans were seated in groups of concourse offering specialty items,

“Absolutely,” Bunting said. two or four, with surrounding such as grilled-to-order burgers and kettle corn, are not allowed.

Among other things that were different:

Radio announcers Andy Freed and Dave Wills worked from separate booths to avoid what would be very close contact, given the Charlotte Sports Park setup. Tape and placards reminding of 6-foot distancing were placed in both dugouts, with tents added over the seats on the far end to accommodate reserve and nonparticipating players. There was an air-conditioned 20-by-20-foot tent to give the umpires more space than their usual cramped dressing room. The rightfield boardwalk area was closed off for players’ families. Present were scouts from other teams; they weren’t allowed at 2020 games.

Overall, it was different. It was a bit odd. And it was very welcomed.

“It’s kind of getting back to normal,” Adames said. “It was great to have that today.”

On Monday, the host Rays lost 6-5 to Minnesota in six innings.