K.J. Confirms His Decision To Call It Quits

Kevin Johnson, who helped lead the Phoenix Suns into the NBA Finals in 1993, made it official on Saturday: He’s retiring.

“If God changes my heart, I’ll change my mind,” the 31-year-old point guard said Saturday after the Suns were eliminated from the playoffs by the Seattle SuperSonics. “But I don’t see that happening.

“God gave me 10 great years. I have no regrets, only highlights,” Johnson added.

In the finale of an NBA career that began in Cleveland in 1987, Johnson scored 20 points, but shot only 8 for 27 as the Suns were ousted in the opening round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

In his 10 seasons in Phoenix, Johnson helped the Suns reach the playoffs nine times. The highlight came in ‘93 when the Suns lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.

Johnson averaged 16 points, but shot just 29 percent in the Seattle series after averaging 20.1 points and shooting 50 percent in 70 regular-season games. He was named NBA Player of the Month in April, when he averaged 23.2 points.

“In the last few minutes, this crossed my mind that this was my final NBA game,” Johnson said. “And that was pretty emotional.”

Austin most improved

Isaac Austin of the Miami Heat, who came back from a season in Turkey, was voted the NBA’s most improved player on Saturday.

Austin, a 6-foot-10 center, averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds and shot 50 percent as the backup to Alonzo Mourning. When Mourning was injured late in the season, he started and averaged 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.

He received 41 votes of a possible 115 from a panel of media members, 24 more than Toronto’s Doug Christie.

Bird has ‘great offer’

Larry Bird is considering a “great offer” to be the next coach of the Indiana Pacers but is not expected to decide whether to accept it until early next week, published reports said.

The Indianapolis Star and News and Boston newspapers reported Bird also was mulling an offer from the Boston Celtics to become either their coach or to take another position with the franchise for which he starred for 13 years as a player.

“Indiana has made me a good offer - no, a great offer,” Bird told The Boston Globe. “We are definitely talking, and if I decide to do something (other than remain with the Celtics in some capacity), it would definitely be there.”

Kentucky coach Rick Pitino said Friday he hopes to announce by Tuesday or Wednesday whether he will stay with the Wildcats or take a coaching job in the NBA. Reports say he could make more than $40 million by coaching the Boston Celtics.

The Warriors are said to be willing to pay $8 million a year to Bulls coach Phil Jackson or former Pacers coach Larry Brown if either will agree to become their coach and general manager.

The Nuggets had former Spurs and 76ers coach John Lucas in for an interview, but remain most interested in Hawks assistant Bill Hanzlik, a former Nuggets player.

Jazz back at it

Can the Mailman continue to deliver his best, now that Shaq is back? How stale will the Utah Jazz be from waiting a week for the Los Angeles Lakers? And just how sick is John Stockton, anyway?

Today, some 40 hours after Los Angeles claimed a 3-1 first-round playoff victory over Portland, the Lakers and Jazz begin a best-of-7 series to answer those questions.

“It’s going to be a war. We realize that, they realize that, and they’re going to come in here ready,” said Karl Malone, who averaged 30.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in Utah’s first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Flu kept Stockton out of practice Wednesday and Thursday, but the Jazz point guard insisted after Saturday’s practice he would be fine for Game 1.

Magic go small

Injuries to power forward Horace Grant (fractured wrist) and center Rony Seikaly (torn ligament, right foot) have forced Orlando to go small. The Magic’s most effective lineup has been a four-guard rotation of Anfernee Hardaway, Nick Anderson, Gerald Wilkins and Darrell Armstrong next to forward Derek Strong.

Orlando has forced a Game 5 against Miami after being blown out by 35 and 17 points in the first two games of the series.