Magic fire coach Doc Rivers By Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted November 18, 2003 SALT LAKE CITY -- Doc Rivers was fired as coach of the Orlando Magic and replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Johnny Davis, the Orlando Sentinel learned early Tuesday. Rivers was told of the change after the Magic lost to the Utah Jazz 90-88 Monday night. It was their 10th consecutive loss of the season. "It's happened, and I'm helping Johnny get ready to take over,'' Rivers said about three hours after the game. Magic Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod was unavailable for comment. Speculation that Rivers was in trouble grew after the Magic lost their first five games at home to fall to 1-6. It heightened after the club lost its first two games on their current West Coast road trip against the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Magic's 1-10 record is the worst in the NBA. As the subject of his job security became a hot topic, Rivers said "Somebody has to be blamed," because that's the way of pro sports. But he called the speculation that he had to beat the Jazz on Monday night to keep his job "unfair" and criticized Magic management for the first time for its handling of his situation. "If we're going to get into this, 'If you win, you stay; if you lose, you go,' then they can do what they want," Rivers told The Sentinel before Monday night's game at the Delta Center. "That's the worst way to treat a coach who's been extremely loyal to this team. I don't know if that's going on or not but that's what you hear." If that was the case, Rivers said, then "the people making the decisions don't know what they're doing." Weisbrod, who had made the trip to observe Rivers and the players, sympathized with Rivers. Asked if his job should have been on the line on a game-to-game basis, Weisbrod said, "He's probably right." Weisbrod refused any other comment. Rivers was named coach of the Magic in 1999, succeeding veteran Chuck Daly. He compiled a 171-168 record and guided Orlando to three consecutive playoff appearances. The Magic, however, were knocked out of the postseason in the first round each time. But it was the last playoff series in which the heat was turned up on Rivers and General Manager John Gabriel. The eighth-seeded Magic won three of the first four games against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons and looked on the verge of advancing to the second round for the first time in seven years. But the Magic collapsed, losing the last three games against the Pistons to lose the best-of-seven series. The off-season brought dramatic changes to the roster. Eight new players were signed, including four rookies and veteran power forward Juwan Howard, a former all-star. The players were slow to mesh, and the Magic posted a 1-7 record in the preseason. The Magic won their season-opener in New York, beating the Knicks in a sloppy, but thrilling overtime game Oct. 29. But they have yet to win since then, dropping all six of their home games and four on the road. Sources close to the team said that Davis -- who has previous head coaching experience -- will be on the Magic's bench Thursday night in Phoenix. The Magic face the Suns on Thursday and then play the Sacramento Kings on Friday to conclude a five-game, eight-day West Coast trip. Davis was head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1996-97 season. ==============================無意義的分隔線================================= Doc走了，但是晴天就肯定隨之而來嗎？I hope so. --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 203.70.196.106 ※ 編輯: Ozzilla 來自: 203.70.196.106 (11/18 17:02)