Nets, Atkinson part ways with playoff berth in sight
Kenny Atkinson won’t have the chance to coach Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together in Brooklyn.
The Nets surprisingly split with their coach Saturday, even as they remain on track for a second consecutive playoff berth.
The morning after Atkinson guided the Nets to a 139-120 rout of San Antonio, the Nets announced the decision to part with the fourth-year coach.
“After discussions with Kenny about the progress of the season, we mutually agreed that a coaching change would be in the best interest of the team,” general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “This was an extremely difficult decision, however the organization believes it is one that is necessary at this time.”
Jacque Vaughn will serve as coach for the rest of the season.
The Nets are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Atkinson was 118-190 in 3 ½ seasons of his first NBA head coaching job.
They returned to the postseason last year and are five games clear of ninth-place Washington despite a 28-34 record.
That comes despite only 20 games from Irving and none from Durant, the two superstars they signed last summer to bring heightened expectations to Brooklyn.
But the Nets had ruled Durant out from the start as he recovers from Achilles tendon surgery, and Irving is out for the season after playing just 20 games before having shoulder surgery. HORNETS 108, ROCKETS 99 >> Terry Rozier scored 24 points and fast-starting Charlotte beat slumping Houston.
The Hornets roared ahead 20-0 in the first 6 ½ minutes. The Rockets had eight turnovers and missed five 3-pointers on their first 12 possessions. JAZZ 111, PISTONS 105 >> Bojan Bogdanovic scored 32 points and Utah withstood two big Detroit rallies to beat the Pistons for its fifth straight victory.
After losses to Milwaukee, San Antonio and Denver, a meeting with the Houston Rockets didn’t seem a recipe for snapping a threegame losing streak.
Utah led by 22 points in the second quarter, but the Pistons came all the way back to tie it early in the fourth. The Jazz then went on an 18-2 run, but that big lead nearly slipped away as well. It was a one-possession game before Utah’s Rudy Gobert made two free throws with 18.5 seconds left to make it 107-102.
Utah led by 22 points in the second quarter, but the Pistons came all the way back to tie it early in the fourth. The Jazz then went on an 18-2 run, but that big lead nearly slipped away as well. It was a one-possession game before Utah’s Rudy Gobert made two free throws with 18.5 seconds left to make it 107-102. GRIZZLIES 118, HAWKS 101 >> Jonas Valanciunas had 27 points and 17 rebounds, rookie Ja Morant added 24 points and Memphis beat Atlanta night to keep its hold on the final Western Conference playoff spot.
Josh Jackson had 17 points, Dillon Brooks and De’anthony Melton added 13 each and Memphis won its fourth in the last five. Valanciunas was 10 of 13 from the field.