(4-30-08)

Mavericks fire Avery Johnson after another playoff flop

DALLAS (AP) - The Dallas Mavericks today fired coach Avery
Johnson.
The league's highest payroll produced a second straight
first-round knockout from the playoffs.
Johnson leaves with an impressive resume after three-plus
seasons.
But Mavs owner Mark Cuban couldn't tolerate a bottom line of
being 3-12 in the playoff since blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA
finals.
The final slate on Johnson's tenure: 194-70 in the regular
season, 23-24 in the playoffs.
Johnson was a championship-winning point guard for San Antonio
during his long career.
He became the Dallas coach-in-waiting when he joined Don
Nelson's staff before the 2004-05 season.
Johnson only had to wait a few months. Nellie stepped aside in
March 2005 and the player known as "The Little General" took
over.
The Mavs went 16-2 the rest of that season and won a playoff
series.
Then, in Johnson's first full season, Dallas went to the NBA
finals for the first time and he was named the league's coach of
the year.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)