Knicks fire coach Fisher, turn to Rambis in interim
James gets triple-double in Cavs win over Kings
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Derek Fisher had just finished a long playing career when Phil Jackson picked him to coach the New York Knicks. Just 1 ½ seasons later, Jackson decided he needed someone else.
Fisher was fired Monday, with his team having lost five straight and nine of 10 to fall well back in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
“It’s time for us to make a change, turn this team around and move forward and get some wins and keep going down the road we had started here at the beginning of the year,” Jackson said at the team’s practice facility.
Associate head coach Kurt Rambis was promoted to interim head coach at least through the rest of the season. Rambis, like Fisher an ex-Laker player and a former assistant under Jackson, went 56-145 in two seasons as Minnesota’s coach.
The Knicks have fallen to 23-31, dropping Fisher’s overall record to 40-96. Jackson hired Fisher in June 2014, just weeks after Fisher was done playing.
“It’s a huge transition from being a player to a coach at any point in time, let alone the season after you retire from playing. So it was a very difficult situation, regardless of where he coached,” Rambis said.
“This is a historic franchise and this is a franchise and a fan base that’s used to winning and he started the process, and it won’t be finished and it may not be finished with the next two coaches that are coming in, but I think he was laying the foundation of doing things the right way and turning this franchise around.”
But Fisher wasn’t winning lately, and though Jackson praised his work ethic, he had seen enough of the Knicks’ slow starts and faulty finishes.
Jackson also questioned whether Fisher took advantage of the experienced assistants Jackson hired to work with him, such as Rambis and Jim Cleamons. Jackson, who won an NBA-record 11 championships as a coach, also told Fisher he may not have mentored him as well as he could have.
“There wasn’t really a consensus in our staff. We decided we need to have really good consensus in the working staff, interchanging of ideas and communication,” Jackson said.
The Knicks went 17-65 last season but upgraded their roster during the summer with the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis and the signing of veterans Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez.
Fisher then got off to an embarrassing start this season during training camp. He was involved in a fight with Memphis Grizzlies forward and former teammate Matt Barnes when he was at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife in California.
“No one’s happy about how that happened and what came out of that,” Jackson said. “That was embarrassing for us and for Derek, but that had nothing to do with what’s happened here today.”
Monday games
CAVALIERS 120, KINGS 100: In Cleveland, LeBron James had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his 40th career triple-double, leading Cleveland to a victory over Sacramento.
Kyrie Irving matched his season
high with 32 points for Cleveland. The point guard was 13 of 21 from the field and tied his career high with 12 assists.
CLIPPERS 98, 76ERS 92, OT: In Philadelphia, J.J. Redick had 23 points, including the tying 3-pointer late in regulation, and Jamal Crawford also scored 23 points to lead the short-handed Clippers to the win.
The Clippers overcame their largest deficit in a victory this season, coming back from 19 points down to win their 19th game in the last 23 overall and 12th in the last 14 on the road.
RAPTORS 103, PISTONS 89: In Auburn Hills, Mich., Kyle Lowry scored 25 points, and Toronto went on an 11-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter to pull away for its 14th victory in 15 games.
Terrence Ross added 18 points for the Raptors.
MAGIC 117, HAWKS 110, OT: In Atlanta, Nikola Vucevic scored 25 of his 28 points after halftime, and Orlando rallied from 20 points down to beat Atlanta in overtime.
Orlando, which trailed by 20 in the opening period and by 18 in the third, took its first lead at 96-94 on Mario Hezonja’s 3-pointer with 3:33 remaining in regulation.
NETS 105, NUGGETS 104: In New York, Joe Johnson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted Brooklyn to the victory.
Thaddeus Young scored 20 points
for the Nets.
PELICANS 116, TIMBERWOLVES 102: In Minneapolis, Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday scored 27 points apiece, and New Orleans snapped a four-game losing streak.
Ryan Anderson chipped in 26 points for the Pelicans.
PACERS 89, LAKERS 87: In Indianapolis, Paul George scored all seven of his second-half points in the final 71 seconds, and Monta Ellis made two free throws with 20.6 seconds left to clinch the win for Indiana.
George finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.
HORNETS 108, BULLS 91: In Charlotte, N.C., Kemba Walker scored 30 points, powering Charlotte to the victory.
Nicolas Batum had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets.
TRAIL BLAZERS 112, GRIZZLIES
106, OT: In Memphis, Tenn., Damian Lillard scored 33 points, C.J. McCollum had six of his 21 points in overtime as Portland defeated Memphis.
McCollum scored the first three baskets of the overtime to create a buffer for the Trail Blazers.
THUNDER 122, SUNS 106: In Phoenix, Kevin Durant scored 25 of his 32 points in the second half and Oklahoma City pulled away in the final four minutes to hand Phoenix its eighth consecutive loss.
Russell Westbrook added 29 points for the Thunder.