Lowly Minnesota Sends Blair Packing

NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves fired coach Bill Blair on Monday and picked general manager Flip Saunders to coach the team for the rest of the NBA season.

Saunders is the Timberwolves’ fifth coach in six-plus seasons since the team joined the league as an expansion franchise in 1989.

The Timberwolves were off to a 6-14 start under Blair this season after going 21-61 last year.

“We just didn’t feel the team was going in the right direction,” said Kevin McHale, the Wolves’ vice president of basketball operations and a former college teammate of Saunders at Minnesota. “If you prorate our record right now, we end up with 24 or 25 wins, and that’s just not acceptable.”

McHale said he would decide after this season who will coach the team next year.

Saunders, 40, spent seven seasons in the CBA, and his 253 wins are the second-most in that league’s history. He won two CBA championships and twice was selected coach of the year.

Around the NBA

Jason Kidd, who injured his hip during a gruesome-looking fall during the weekend, won’t return to the Dallas Mavericks until at least Friday. Kidd, who is averaging 14.1 points, 8.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds, suffered a strained hip flexor muscle in the final seconds of a 111-108 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday… . Former New York Knicks coach Pat Riley will make his first return to Madison Square Garden tonight since becoming coach, president and part owner of the Miami Heat.

Bulls 123, Celtics 114 Boston

Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan scored 37 points each as Chicago pulled away from Boston in the fourth quarter for its 10th straight win.

Trailing 80-71 with 4:29 left in the third quarter, the Bulls outscored the Celtics 43-18 and took their biggest lead, 114-98, with 4:55 remaining. Pippen had 15 points in the surge and Jordan added nine.

Pippen just missed a triple-double, getting 12 assists and nine rebounds, while Jordan had six rebounds, five steals and three assists. Dennis Rodman had 17 rebounds as the Bulls improved their NBA-best record to 20-2.

CHICAGO (123)

Pippen 15-23 5-7 37, Rodman 1-3 3-4 5, Longley 2-5 3-4 7, Harper 5-6 0-0 10, Jordan 16-27 5-8 37, Kukoc 2-6 5-8 9, Wennington 0-0 0-0 0, Buechler 0-3 0-0 0, Kerr 3-6 0-0 7, Simpkins 3-4 2-2 9, R.Brown 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 48-84 23-33 123.

BOSTON (114)

Radja 9-11 5-7 23, Fox 5-12 0-0 13, Montross 1-3 0-4 2, Minor 4-8 0-0 8, Barros 7-11 4-4 21, Day 8-19 2-4 21, Ellison 0-1 0-2 0, Williams 2-4 1-2 5, Wesley 2-7 13-13 18, Burrough 0-1 1-2 1, Lister 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 38-78 28-40 114.

Chicago 29 24 36 34 - 123

Boston 31 33 22 28 - 114

3-Point goals-Chicago 4-12 (Pippen 2-4, Simpkins 1-1, Kerr 1-2, Harper 0-1, Jordan 0-1, Buechler 0-1, Kukoc 0-2), Boston 10-22 (Barros 3-5, Day 3-5, Fox 3-7, Wesley 1-5). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Chicago 53 (Rodman 17), Boston 45 (Fox 7). Assists-Chicago 28 (Pippen 12), Boston 23 (Barros 6). Total fouls-Chicago 29, Boston 30. A-18,624 (18,600).

Jazz 110, Nets 103 East Rutherford, N.J.

Howard Eisley and Karl Malone combined on a four-point play to spark a game-breaking 16-3 spurt to end the third quarter as Utah defeated New Jersey.

Malone had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and backup guard Jeff Hornacek added 24 points as Utah beat the Nets for the second time this season and 14th in the last 16 meetings.

John Stockton added 11 points and 10 assists for the Jazz, which overcame an early 12-point deficit by shooting 52 percent from the floor.

UTAH (110)

Malone 11-23 2-5 24, Russell 0-0 2-4 2, Spencer 0-0 0-0 0, Morris 2-5 4-4 9, Stockton 3-7 5-5 11, Carr 1-2 1-2 3, Keefe 2-4 3-4 7, Hornacek 9-16 5-5 24, Benoit 4-7 1-2 12, Eisley 3-4 2-2 9, Foster 4-7 1-1 9. Totals 39-75 26-34 110.

NEW JERSEY (103)

Perry 6-8 0-1 14, Gilliam 6-10 6-6 18, Dare 2-6 0-0 4, Edwards 5-14 7-7 18, Anderson 4-12 11-11 21, Bradley 2-6 2-4 6, Williams 2-4 1-2 5, Childs 2-7 5-5 9, Fleming 2-6 4-4 8. Totals 31-73 36-40 103.

Utah 27 27 33 23 - 110

New Jersey 31 27 17 28 - 103

3-Point goals-Utah 6-11 (Benoit 3-3, Eisley 1-1, Hornacek 1-3, Morris 1-3, Stockton 0-1), New Jersey 5-13 (Perry 2-3, Anderson 2-4, Edwards 1-5, Childs 0-1). Fouled out- Williams. Rebounds-Utah 46 (Malone 15), New Jersey 44 (Gilliam 11). Assists-Utah 25 (Stockton 10), New Jersey 19 (Anderson 10). Total fouls-Utah 36, New Jersey 31. Technicals-Utah illegal defense, New Jersey illegal defense. A-14,679 (20,049).

Kings 92, Grizzlies 85 Sacramento

Brian Grant scored 22 points and Mitch Richmond had 20 as Sacramento held off Vancouver.

The Kings held the Grizzlies to 36 points in the second and third periods. Reserve center Duane Causwell had eight rebounds and four blocks for Sacramento.

VANCOUVER (85)

King 5-8 1-2 12, Avent 2-6 1-2 5, Reeves 9-12 5-5 23, B.Edwards 4-5 0-0 11, Murdock 4-12 4-4 12, Amaya 1-4 1-2 3, Martin 0-5 4-4 4, D.Edwards 1-2 2-2 4, Scott 3-8 1-1 7, Mobley 1-3 2-2 4. Totals 30-65 21-24 85.

SACRAMENTO (92)

Simmons 2-5 6-6 10, Grant 10-15 2-4 22, Polynice 4-8 0-0 8, Richmond 7-14 6-6 20, Edney 5-11 5-8 16, Causwell 0-1 0-0 0, Corbin 3-7 3-4 9, Marciulionis 3-8 0-0 7, Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Hurley 0-0 0-0 0, Williamson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-71 22-28 92.

Vancouver 24 17 19 25 - 85

Sacramento 25 20 23 24 - 92

3-Point goals-Vancouver 4-8 (B.Edwards 3-3, King 1-1, Murdock 0-1, Scott 0-3), Sacramento 2-6 (Edney 1-1, Marciulionis 1-3, Simmons 0-1, Richmond 0-1). Fouled out- None. Rebounds-Vancouver 40 (Amaya 7), Sacramento 41 (Simmons, Causwell 8). Assists-Vancouver 15 (Murdock 5), Sacramento 20 (Edney 7). Total fouls-Vancouver 29, Sacramento 25. Technical foul-Sacramento illegal defense. A-17,317 (17,317).