Kidd gets canned as Milwaukee coach
GM: Bucks need ‘fresh approach, different voice’
Seeking change amid midseason struggles, the Milwaukee Bucks fired coach Jason Kidd on Monday after a slide that left a team with designs on challenging the NBA’s best in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
It was a surprising end to Kidd’s three-plus-season tenure in Milwaukee, during which the Bucks made the playoffs twice, exiting in the first round each time.
The Bucks had lost four of five to fall to 23-22 before Monday night’s 109-105 home win over Phoenix.
GM Jon Horst said it was time for a change. Kidd was fired hours before the game.
Assistant coach Joe Prunty will serve as interim coach the rest of the season, co-owner Wes Edens said.
Under Kidd, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139-152.
“We just felt that we got to a point in the season where this team could do more and could perform at a different level in a different way, and (we are) looking for a fresh approach and different voice in leadership for the team,” Horst said.
In Monday’s win, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton scored 35 points and hit two long jumpers in the last minute. TIMBERWOLVES 126, CLIPPERS 118 >> Andrew Wiggins scored a season-high 40 points as Minnesota held on for its seventh win in nine games — and second in a row without Jimmy Butler, sidelined by a sore right knee.
Blake Griffin had a tripledouble with 32 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists for the Clippers. But he committed two big turnovers in the closing seconds. PELICANS 132, BULLS 128 (2 OT) >> DeMarcus Cousins had 44 points, 24 rebounds and 10 assists, Anthony Davis scored 34 points, and the All-Star pair led a 17-point New Orleans comeback in the final five minutes of regulation before the Pelicans pulled out the home win in double overtime.
Cousins became the first NBA player since Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to have as many as 40 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game. ROCKETS 99, HEAT 90 >> James Harden scored 28 points and host Houston overcame a double-digit deficit before halftime.
The game was tied with about three minutes left when Harden hit a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired. Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with 22 points. HORNETS 112, KINGS 107 >> Kemba Walker had 26 points and Jeremy Lamb added 18 to send Sacramento to its eighth straight loss and 11th in the past 12 games.
GRIZZLIES 105, 76ERS 101 >> Marc Gasol scored 19 points, Tyreke Evans added 18 points and eight assists, and the pair led a fourthquarter rally that lifted host Memphis.
Dario Saric led the Sixers with 22 points. MAVERICKS 98, WIZARDS 75 >> Harrison Barnes had 20 points and 10 rebounds, rookie Dennis Smith Jr. scored 17 and Dallas finished a season sweep of visiting Washington.
HAWKS 104, JAZZ 90 >> Dennis Schroder scored 20 points and Taurean Prince added 17 to lead host Atlanta. NUGGETS 104, TRAIL BLAZERS 101 >> Jamal Murray scored a career-high 38 points, including a threepoint play in the final minute, and Will Barton hit four free throws in the final 10 seconds to lead host Denver.
Damian Lillard had 25 points for Portland.