European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and Stripe Friday december 27, 1991kings fire Motta before he quits Sacramento Calif. A Dick Motta never got to quit. A Day after lie said he would retire As Sacramento s coach at the end of the season the Kings fired him and named assistant Rex Hughes As the interim replacement. A in Light of Dicks plans to step Down at the end of the year we feel it is important to address our future now Quot Kings president Rick Benner said tuesday. The 60-year-old Motta whose 856 coaching victories in 22 seasons make him the third winning est coach in Aba history set a league record for losses in monday night s i0i-90 loss to the spurs in san Antonio. It was Mottas 863rd loss one More than Gene Shue. Benner said the team has begun a search for a permanent replacement hut that no timetable has been set. Benner and Kings player personnel director Jerry Reynolds both said they knew nothing of Mottas retirement plans until he announced it on a radio interview before monday s game. Motta told reporters later that he wrote his retirement announcement on nov. I the opening Day of the season and put it away in an envelope. He said he pulled out the note last weekend discussed it with his wife children and financial advisor Jerry Wing. He said his decision was based on personal plans not the Kings record or his own coaching statistics a i feel its time to get on with other parts of my life. I want to do some travelling. This is the perfect time Quot he said. A this is a Young team and it needs to get on. In Man old Guy and i need to get on. This gives the team a Chance to accept applications and not have to make a hurried  Motta had one Aba coach of the year award and a record of 808 victories and 750 losses when he came out of retirement to become Kings head coach Midway through the 1989-90 season. A a in be never failed in my life and in a not about to  Motta said at the Jan. 4, 1990. Announcement of his appointment. But the Kings then a 7-20 team won Only 16 More games and lost 39 More under Motta for a 23-59 record for the 1989-90 season. They improved by Only two games to 25-57, last year and have a 7-18 record so far this season. Motta s retirement announcement came just one Day alter reports that the Kings players were so unhappy under his direction that Captain Warman Tisdale had asked management on behalf of several i avers not to re hire Motta at the end of the season. A  this is a period of transition for the franchise and we must take Steps to provide for a cohesive organization from the players to the coaching staff to the management and ownership Quot Benner said. The Kings principal investors developers Gregg Lukenbill and Joseph Ben Venuti Are attempting to sell the team. It was also revealed tuesday that Mutual life insurance company of new York had begun foreclosure action against the Sacramento s Hyatt Regency hotel also owned by Lukenbill and  Down celtics lakers top clippers by the associated press Chicago a Michael Jordan talked about the hardship of playing on a Holiday but Horace Grant was Happy to get his Christmas wish. A we played Good enough to win and played very hard at that especially under the conditions of playing on Christmas night Quot said Jordan after the Chicago bulls whipped the Boston celtics 121-99. A i got my Christmas wish today a that was for us to stay in the game and win it Quot said Grant. Jordan managed Only 14 Points 15 below his league leading average hut he insists he does t mind watching his teammates take the limelight. A i m not going to try to Force it when i Sec that i National basketball association not making the shots Quot said Jordan who made Only six of 14 Field goals and finished with 14 Points. It was his lowest output since november 199 1 when he was held to 14 by the los Angeles clippers. A it does t bother me that someone else Steps up and gels the Job done a As Long As we win Quot said Jordan. Quot the main thing for this one is you have to give credit to the whole  Scot tie Pippen grabbed the scoring limelight against the celtics scoring 27 Points to go Over the 5,000 Mark for his Aba career. Pippen said that s the difference with the bulls the past couple of years a Jordan does no to have to have a hot hand every night for the bulls to win. A there Are going to be nights when other people Are going to step up and Lake Over Quot said Pippen who has 5.024 Points in four plus pro seasons. A tonight i had a lot of opportunities to take advantage of and  . Armstrong added 18 Points and Horace Grant 17 Points and a game High 12 rebounds for Chicago. It was Chicago s third consecutive Victory and 20th in its last 22 games. The bulls extended their unbeaten Streak against Eastern conference opponents to 9-0. Bostons Road record slipped to 5-7. A we were just outplayed in every aspect Quot said Boston coach Chris lord. Quot they were the aggressors and we just stood around and  Rick Box topped Boston with 21 Points. In the Only other game wednesday lakers 85, clippers 75  Angeles a the Gap Between the los Angeles lakers who no longer have magic Johnson and the los Angeles clippers who have played Well recently. Had seemed to he narrowing. But not on Christmas Day at the . Sports Arena where the lakers outclassed the clippers. Only a Basket at the Buzzer by  Ellis kept the clippers from establishing a team scoring Low. That record of 74 w As last matched in 1981. . Green had 2 1 Points and 11 rebounds to Lead the lakers who jumped out front Early and had a comfortable advantage most of the Way. Byron Scott had 18 Points and ii rebounds for the lakers and Janies worthy and Sedale threat added 14 Points each. James Edwards was the clippers leading scorer with 15 Points and Danny Manning had 14. The Victory ended a three game losing Streak by the lakers who had gone into a Brief dive after beating the bulls at Chicago a week ago. The defeat meanwhile was just the fourth for the clippers in their last 12 games. The teams records were close going into the contest with the lakers Victory giving them a 17-10 Mark while the clippers now Are 15-13. Chicago s Scottie pippin rips a rebound from celtics Reggie Lewis face in the bulls 121-99 win wednesday