Jim O'Brien was fired as coach of the Indiana Pacers after the club struggled to a 17-27 start, Pacers president Larry Bird announced on Sunday.

One night after being routed 110-89 by Central Division leader Chicago to fall 14 1/2 games off the Bulls' pace, Indiana dumped O'Brien and appointed assistant coach Frank Vogel to coach the team for the remainder of the season.

O'Brien, 303-327 as an NBA coach with Boston and Philadelphia, was 121-169 in more than three seasons guiding the Pacers, who went winless on a four-game road trip last week and have lost seven of their past eight games.

"We've been looking at everything with our team from the beginning of the season and now at the halfway mark I think at this time a change is necessary," Bird said.

"Jim did a good job under the circumstances in a rebuilding effort. He helped change the culture and worked every day to try to get this franchise turned in the right direction.

"This isn't all on Jim. All of us share in the responsibility for where we're at and where we need to go."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/01/2011 page23)