Who will be No. 223?
It was hard to check scores from Saturday's games and not have the Clippers' 107-84 victory at Minnesota and Denver's 118-85 victory at Sacramento catch your eye, especially if you're getting ready to write a 20th anniversary story this week about Jerry Sloan taking over as Jazz coach.
For the record, there have been 222 coaching changes since Sloan took over for Frank Layden on Dec. 9, 1988. The question is if there will be a 223rd before Tuesday's game at Minnesota, with the leading candidates being Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman and Sacramento's Reggie Theus.
The Kings trailed 37-18 after the first quarter en route to tying a franchise record with their eighth consecutive loss at Arco Arena. Sacramento shot 29.3 percent, which was the first time finishing worse than 30 percent since Dec. 1, 1996. That's 11 losses in 12 games for the 5-16 Kings.
Minnesota, meanwhile, sits at 4-15 after the loss to the Clippers and drew an announced crowd of 10, 863 to Saturday's game. Fans apparently were jeering general manager Kevin McHale by yelling the names of Brandon Roy and O.J. Mayo, two players he traded away on draft night. Wittman's record as coach is 38-105.
Memphis' Marc Iavaroni and Philadelphia's Maurice Cheeks also have to be considered on the hot seat, but it looks like a two-coach race between Wittman and Theus to become No. 223 (maybe we'll have 223 and 224). Wouldn't it be something for Sloan's anniversary game to come Tuesday against an interim coach?
* * *
Have been in touch with a person in the Timberwolves p.r. department, but there's still no word if they'll honor Sloan's anniversary in any way Tuesday.
* * *
Although we suspected it when Brevin Knight stayed overnight at a Phoenix hospital for observation after getting hit in the windpipe Saturday, the Jazz's point guard was not on the same flight home Sunday morning as the two beat writers. There's still no word on whether Knight was released, but the Jazz expected him to return to Salt Lake on Sunday.
--Ross Siler
For the record, there have been 222 coaching changes since Sloan took over for Frank Layden on Dec. 9, 1988. The question is if there will be a 223rd before Tuesday's game at Minnesota, with the leading candidates being Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman and Sacramento's Reggie Theus.
The Kings trailed 37-18 after the first quarter en route to tying a franchise record with their eighth consecutive loss at Arco Arena. Sacramento shot 29.3 percent, which was the first time finishing worse than 30 percent since Dec. 1, 1996. That's 11 losses in 12 games for the 5-16 Kings.
Minnesota, meanwhile, sits at 4-15 after the loss to the Clippers and drew an announced crowd of 10, 863 to Saturday's game. Fans apparently were jeering general manager Kevin McHale by yelling the names of Brandon Roy and O.J. Mayo, two players he traded away on draft night. Wittman's record as coach is 38-105.
Memphis' Marc Iavaroni and Philadelphia's Maurice Cheeks also have to be considered on the hot seat, but it looks like a two-coach race between Wittman and Theus to become No. 223 (maybe we'll have 223 and 224). Wouldn't it be something for Sloan's anniversary game to come Tuesday against an interim coach?
* * *
Have been in touch with a person in the Timberwolves p.r. department, but there's still no word if they'll honor Sloan's anniversary in any way Tuesday.
* * *
Although we suspected it when Brevin Knight stayed overnight at a Phoenix hospital for observation after getting hit in the windpipe Saturday, the Jazz's point guard was not on the same flight home Sunday morning as the two beat writers. There's still no word on whether Knight was released, but the Jazz expected him to return to Salt Lake on Sunday.
--Ross Siler
6:00 PM
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