USA – Johnson axed as Mavs coach

DALLAS (NBA) – Germany star Dirk Nowitzki will have a new boss when he returns to Dallas next season following the Mavericks’ decision to part with former NBA Coach of the Year Avery Johnson.

The New Orleans Hornets this week sent the Mavs crashing out of the post-season in the first round for the second consecutive year.

“You’ve got to take the good with the bad,” Johnson said following his side’s 99-94 Game Five loss to the Hornets.

“That is called life. There are a lot of highs and lows in coaching, but the highs outweigh the lows. The rewards outweigh anything.

“I’ve been through much worse. There are a lot of people in bad shape and I am not one of them.”

Johnson was Coach of the Year for the 2005-06 campaign after guiding the Mavs into the NBA Finals.

They were two wins away from winning the title but the Miami Heat hit back to win four consecutive games to win the championship.

Last season, Johnson and Co stormed into the post-season as the top seed in the Western Conference but lost to Golden State.

This year, Dallas won 51 of their 82 regular-season games but in the power-packed West, that was only good enough for the seventh seed.

In the post-season, Johnson’s record is 23-24.

“It is never easy to relieve a coach of his duties, especially one of Avery’s caliber,” owner Mark Cuban said.

“He is a talented coach and I want to thank him for his efforts over the last four years and what he has done for this franchise. We wish him well in the future.”

Johnson is not the only coach to be shown the door with former Nigeria national team coach Sam Vincent also getting axed this week by the Charlotte Bobcats.

Veteran coach Larry Brown, who guided the United States to a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, was named as his replacement.

Pat Riley has left the bench with Miami to focus on his duties as team president with Erik Spoelstra taking the reins.

Milwaukee relieved Larry Krystkowiak of his duties and brought in former Chicago coach Scott Skiles.

Isiah Thomas is no longer the coach of New York Knicks with Mark Jackson the favorite to take over.

Former Knicks point guard Jackson, who has been working as a television analyst, played for Indiana during his long career.

Donnie Walsh, the long-time Indiana general manager, left the Pacers before this season and at the beginning of April was made president of basketball operations for the Knicks.

FIBA