Rondo finished with Mavs
Thunder fires coach Brooks
Rajon Rondo is out in Dallas.
Rick Carlisle made that clear when asked if he thought the free agenttobe would wear a Mavericks uniform again. “No, I don’t,” the coach said.
The Mavericks announced Wednesday that Rondo, a free agent after the season, 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 20 lead in the 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 29- year- old guard’s future in Dallas. It ended a saga that started with the December trade with Boston, a deal the Mavericks hoped would boost hopes for their first playoff series victory since winning the franchise’s first title four years ago.
“My relationship with him was professional,” Carlisle said. “We learned a lot going through this — trying to make this thing work.”
Thunder: Oklahoma City fired Scott Brooks, 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 theThunder 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 them to a 45- 37 finish. Brooks was 338- 207 (. 620) with the Thunder andwas the 2009- 10NBA Coach of the Year.
“I grew as both a man and a ball player under his guidance and for that I will forever be grateful,” OKC star and reigning league MVP Kevin Durant said. “I know he will be very successful in wherever his next steps are in life.”
Hawks: Agroup headed by billionaire Antony Ressler and that includes former player Grant Hill has agreed to purchase the Atlanta Hawks. The team announced the deal Wednesday night during the first half of the team’s playoff game against the Nets. The sale price was not released. But a person familiar with the deal, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymitybecausethetwo sides did not reveal that information, saidRessler’s group would pay $ 850 million. Hill and Spanx founder Sara Blakely are part of the group. The deal still must be approved by three- fourths of theNBA’s other 29 owners.
Bulls: Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic ( left knee) will miss Thursday’s game at Milwaukee. The team ruled Mirotic out for Game 3, while veteran guard Kirk Hinrich ( left knee) was listed as questionable after going through a full practice on Wednesday. Mirotic strained his quadriceps and bruised his knee in a scrum for a loose ball late inMonday’s victory.