European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 b the stars and stripes thursday january 23, 1992spurs fire Brown at his request san Antonio a the san Antonio spurs fired coach Larry Brown at his own request tuesday ending his 3l/i years with a team that won two Midwest division championships. Browne a termination followed two Road losses and two Stormy Days of dealings with owner red Mccombs in which Brown reportedly was fired then rehired before being dismissed a second time. It Marks the first time Brown has been terminated in his 20 years of a rollercoaster coaching career. A Larry was More and More feeling that i did no to have the Confidence in him that he would have liked to have had a Mccombs said at a hastily called news conference tuesday morning. A the requested that he be terminated. I did no to expect that. It certainly was not contemplated a Mccombs said. A a it a a very unusual situation to be asked to be  Brown confirmed he was dismissed. A i was fired. I was fired at the meeting i thought yesterday morning. The statement red prepared with me said to that effect a Brown told sat to. He added that it would take time to build a championship team like Detroit. A i think they the players Are the greatest. I just wish they a be a Little patient with these Guys a Brown said. Brown will be replaced for the rest of the season by Bob Bass spurs vice president of basketball operations who has coached the team and other teams in the past. Bass who last coached the spurs in the 1983-84 season after Morris Mchone was fired was on the Bench for tuesday nights 114-100 Victory Over the los Angeles clippers. Bass said the other assistants would remain with the team the rest of the season. Forward Sean Elliott said the move was unexpected. A we were All just kind of shocked about it. Nobody knew anything about it a Elliott said. A Twete sad to see coach go. In a personally sad to see him go. I think he did the Best Job that he  Elliott said he believes assistant coach Gregg Popovich would be the obvious Choice to replace Brown. A i think he Popovich has been great for the team. He has a great rapport with the players a he said. The spurs will begin a search for a new head coach for next year. Texas longhorns coach Tom Penders has been mentioned before As a potential spurs coach. Despite published reports that Mccombs had fired then rehired Brown after a turbulent meeting monday the owner said he considered Brown the head coach until he did no to show up at a tuesday meeting and the teams shoot around. A Larry has made a great contribution Here a Mccombs said. A we Are All the better for it. I wish it was the kind of thing that could have lasted  As recently As last week Mccombs said in an interview a a we be got the Best coach in the country. We spend All of our time trying to make him  Brown reportedly was in the fourth year of a five year contract Worth $3.5 million. Browne a record was 153-131 As coach of the spurs. He experienced his first losing season 21-61 As a coach in his first year with san Antonio in 1988-89. Then in 1989-90 with the addition of Center David Robinson he guided the spurs to the Best single season turnaround in Aba history with a 56-26 record the franchises Best Ever. The spurs were 55-27 last season winning the Midwest division for the second straight year. Before coming to the spurs Brown shuffled Between the College and professional game usually leaving following a successful stint. He coached the Carolina cougars in the Aba from 1972-1974, then moved to Denver until 1979 when he left for a two year tour at Urcla. He then spent two years with the a bad a new Jersey nets moving to Kansas in 1983. The Jay Hawks won the 1988 Mcaa championship and Brown returned to the pros in san Antonio the next season. Blazers drub lakers Aba by United press International Portland Ore. A after a heartbreaking loss sunday the Portland Trail blazers were ready to take their frustrations out on somebody. The los Angeles lakers happened to get in the Way. A the Nice thing about the Aba is you always get another Chance after a disheartening loss a Portland guard Danny Ainge said after Clyde Drexler led nine blazers in double figures tuesday night in a 131-92 Romp Over the lakers at memorial coliseum. The blazers lost to Phoenix 132-128 in overtime sunday. A without James worthy of course we had no Chance a lakers coach Mike Dunleavy said. A even so in a disappointed. The Way we played tonight a in a embarrassed and hopefully the whole team is  the loss was the second worst in lakers history surpassed Only by Portland a 42-Point thrashing in 1990. Worthy missed the game with fluid on the knee. The Trail blazers trailed 26-24 late in the first Quarter before mounting a 14-4 spurt that gave them control los Angeles trailed by 18 at halftime. A once you get on a Roll everything seems to Start going your Way a Portland coach Rick Adelman said. Drexler added seven rebounds and nine assists Terry Porter and Cliff Robinson were next with 16 Points apiece. Sam Perkins had 18 to Lead the lakers. A your intensity level tonight was just great Quot Ainge said. T in other games tuesday night bulls 10b, suns 102 Chicago a Michael Jordan scored 23 of his game High 30 Points in the second half enabling the bulls to stretch their winning Streak to 10 games. The suns had won seven in a Row. The bulls were Down by 11 Points in the second Quarter and by 5 at halftime but rushed Back to take a 79-77 Edge heading into the fourth  105, Timber wolves 92 Orlando Fla. A Nick Anderson scored 26 Points and grabbed eight rebounds for the magic who set a franchise record by holding the Timber wolves to 13 Points in the second Quarter. Minnesota shot 3 of 16 and Orlando used a 20-5 run to take a 53-37 halftime Lead. Rockets 117, Bucks 107 Houston a sleepy Floyd scored 16 of his game High 31 Points in the fourth Quarter powering the rockets. Milwaukee rallied from an 18-Point deficit Midway through the third Quarter to take a 95-91 Lead. Houston responded with seven straight Points capped by Carl Herrera a Layup to regain the Lead at 98-95 with 5 40  114, clippers 100 san Antonio a David Robinson and Terry Cummings scored 17 Points apiece and the spurs responded to the firing of coach Larry Brown with a Victory. The spurs who replaced Brown with Bob Bass before the game have won six of their last nine to improve to 22-17. San Antonio shot 56 percent from the floor its second Best output of the  128, sonics 119 Seattle a Dominique Wilkins scored 29 Points and Duane Ferrell had 20 for the Hawks. The sonics closed to 85-80 with two minutes remaining in the third Quarter but Atlanta reeled off a 7-0 spurt to end the period. Blair Rasmussen had 16 Points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks. Ricky Pierce led Seattle with 31 Points and Eddie Johnson had 23.kings 94, nuggets 85 Sacramento Calif. A Lionel Simmons and Spud Webb scored 18 Points each and the Kings withstood a late second half run by Denver. Sacramento used an 8-0 run to take a 68-52 Lead with 2 32 remaining in the third period. The nuggets rallied with a 13-1 spurt in the fourth Quarter to close within 82-79 with 5 13 left. But Denver was unable to get any closer. A Portland a Buck Williams left and Terry Porter put the squeeze on lakers guard Sedale  nets 48th goal As blues Edge sabres for by the associated press St. Louis a the beat goes on the blues Brett Hull. Picking up where he left off before the All Star break Hull scored his nil leading 48th goal As St. Louis beat the Buffalo sabres 5-4 tuesday night. With 48 goals in 47 games Hull is on a Pace to score 50 goals in 50 games for the second straight year last season he scored 50 in his first 49 games on the Way to an 86-goal season. Hull who had two goals in the All Star game on saturday and was the map scored his 48th on a Power play at 13 18 of the second period. Hull took a Cross ice pass from Brendan Shanahan and Pul a wrist shot into the left Corner of the net. Hull also increased his team record scoring Streak to 24 games and tied Mario Lemieux of Pittsburgh for the league scoring Lead with 75 Points. Hull has 30 goals and 15 assists during the Streak. A obviously i m thinking about it now a Hull said of the 50-50 Mark. Quot i just want to do  Quot i Hope he gets it but in a glad he did no to get it against us a said the sabres Pat Lafontaine who scored two goals in the late going. Nelson Emerson had two goals for the blues. In other games tuesday night canucks 5, Nordques 3 Quebec a Igor Larionov scored his 17th goal and added three assists two of them on goals by Pavel Bure As the canucks handed Quebec its seventh straight loss. Besides his two goals Bure also had an assist and Greg Adams the other member of the line contributed three assists giving the Trio a 10-Point  wings 7, flyers 3 Detroit a Sergei Fedorov had a goal and three assists ail in the second period As the red wings routed the Fly ers. Jimmy Carson scored two goals for the red  3, whalers 3 Hartford a Bobby Holik scored twice once with help from Winnipeg de Senseman Mario Marois As the whalers came from two goals Down to tie the jets. It was Only the third time this season the whalers have come Back from two goals Down. Hartford ended a four game losing  9, Sharks 2 Edmonton Alberta a Bernie Nicholls had two goals and three assists and the oilers scored six times in the third period to rout san Jose