NEW YORK, 27 November 2004 — Jamaal Tinsley had 20 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds as the depleted Pacers upset the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-102 in Indianapolis on Thursday.
Austin Croshere added 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Pacers won for the second time in three games since the suspensions of Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson for fighting spectators in a game at Detroit last Friday.
The Pacers hit 13 three-pointers and played strong defense to subdue the T-Wolves, who were without a banned player of their own, Michael Olowokandi.
Olowokandi was suspended by the club after being arrested and spending Wednesday night in jail after an altercation in an Indianapolis nightclub.
“We are extremely disappointed in Michael Olowokandi’s actions last night,” general manager Jim Stack said in a statement released by the club.
“Regardless of how the incident escalated, he never should have been in that situation.”
Fred Jones chipped in 17 points for the Pacers, who led by 10 points after three quarters and survived 35 points from the Timberwolves in the fourth.
Kevin Garnett led the T-Wolves with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Wally Szczerbiak added 18 points.
The Pacers dressed just 10 players but played nine, with eight of them playing 11 minutes or more as coach Rick Carlisle used his bench to make up for the injured and suspended players. In Thursday’s other game, Marko Jaric scored 23 points to lead the LA Clippers to a 101-88 win over the slumping New Jersey Nets in Los Angeles. The Clippers (6-6) got back to .500 with the win while the Nets dropped their seventh straight game to slip to 2-9.
Elton Brand added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Clippers, while Corey Maggette contributed 16 points.
Richard Jefferson led New Jersey with 24 points.
Grizzlies’ Coach Brown Retires for Health Reasons
In Memphis, Tenn., Memphis Grizzlies head coach Hubie Brown announced his unexpected retirement on Thursday due to health concerns and assistant Lionel Hollins has been tagged the team’s interim coach.
“Unexpected health-related issues will not allow me to continue coaching the Memphis Grizzlies,” said Brown. “This situation was unforeseen and absolutely non-existent at the beginning of the season.”
The decision brings the end to a 33-year basketball coaching career, including 13 seasons as an NBA head coach.
Brown won the NBA Coach of the Year Award for the second time in his illustrious career last season after leading Memphis to its first playoff appearance in the franchise’s 10-year history.
Under Brown’s tutelage, Memphis finished the 2003-04 regular season at 50-32, a 22-win improvement from the previous year.
Brown returned from retirement to become the Grizzlies’ sixth head coach on Nov. 12, 2002. Previously, the 70-year-old coach led the New York Knicks to two playoff appearances during five seasons (1982-87) and the Atlanta Hawks to three playoff appearances in five seasons (1976-81).
“This is an extremely sad day for me,” said Grizzlies President of Basketball Operations Jerry West. “This franchise is by far better from the leadership and guidance of Hubie Brown, and we will be forever grateful to Hubie. Hubie has helped this team and organization receive the respect and stature it deserved. On a personal note, I had an incredible working relationship with him during our short time together, and his legacy will be felt by all of us.” In his 13-year coaching career with the Hawks, Knicks and Grizzlies, Brown has a regular season record of 424-495.
This is the second time that Hollins will take over as the Grizzlies’ interim coach. During the 1999-00 campaign, he was named head coach midway through the season and guided the team to an 18-42 finish. Hollins first joined the Grizzlies as the lead assistant when the franchise was in Vancouver during its inaugural season of 1995-96.
Before joining the Grizzlies, Hollins served seven years with the Phoenix Suns as an assistant coach from 1988-95.
