Reeling Hawks fire Pierce
Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce was fired on Monday following a disappointing start to a season of heightened expectations.
Hawks president Travis Schlenk announced the move in a short statement released by the team.
The Hawks are 14-20 and 11th in the Eastern Conference, following a 109-99 loss at Miami on Sunday night. The teams play again in Miami on Tuesday.
Schlenk said the move, which comes less than a week before Atlanta hosts the All-Star Game, is timed to help the team enjoy a second-half resurgence.
“We have high expectations for our team on the court and we believe by making this change now that we can have a strong second half of the season,” Schlenk said.
Pierce, hired in 2018, was 63-120 (.344) with the Hawks, missing the playoffs in each of his two completed seasons.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The NIT is moving the entire 2021 event to Texas because of the coronavirus pandemic, taking the semifinals and championship game out of New York's Madison Square Garden for the first time in the 83-year history of college basketball's oldest postseason tournament.
The field is being reduced to 16 teams from the usual 32, and all games will be played in the Dallas area. The two venues are the University of North Texas in Denton and an arena in Frisco that is home to a G League team affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks.
First-round games will be played March 17-20, with the quarterfinals March 25. The semifinals are set for March 27, followed by the championship game the next day. Specific arenas for each round weren't announced.
The NIT field will be announced after the NCAA Tournament is set March 14.
WNBA
Sue Bird re-signed with the Seattle Storm for what will be her 20th season with the team.
The 40-year-old Bird is coming off another championship season after Seattle won its fourth title playing in the WNBA bubble in Florida. Bird shot a career-best 49.4% from the field and 46.4% on 3pointers last season, while averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 assists per game. She was limited to 11 regularseason games due to a bone bruise in her knee.
HORSE RACING
The image of Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott seemingly posing for a photo while sitting on a dead horse provoked horror and led to the Irishman being banned from entering runners into British races.
Elliott, one of the sport's most celebrated figures in Britain and Ireland, apologized while confirming the authenticity of an undated photo that was shared across Twitter on Saturday, showing him sitting on a horse that had just died of a heart attack after a training run.
One of his most high-profile employers, Cheveley Park Stud, said it was “truly horrified” by the image and bookmaker Betfair dropped Elliott as an ambassador.
The British Horse Racing Authority said it was “appalled” by the image and imposed the temporary block on Elliott training horses in British races.