Blazers fire McMillan

Nate McMillan came to Portland in 2005 with a mission to rebuild the Trail Blazers into a Western Conference contender and repair the once-proud franchise’s tattered image with its adoring fan base. The dignity and respect have largely been restored, but the division titles and playoff successes have proven more difficult to come by. And with the losses getting uglier each time they hit the court, the Blazers’ brass felt it was time for McMillan (pictured right) to go and to start the process all over again. McMillan was fired on Thursday as part of a massive overhaul by team owner Paul Allen and President Larry Miller that came one day after a 42-point drubbing in New York.

– Associated Press