PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns have fired coach Earl Watson just three games in to the NBA season.

The Suns announced the firing Sunday night after hours of meetings at the team’s headquarters.

Assistant coach Jay Triano, a former head coach of the Toronto Raptors, was named interim coach. Triano was an assistant at Portland before coming to Phoenix last year.

Watson was promoted from assistant to interim coach after Jeff Hornacek was fired Feb. 1, 2016. The interim tag was removed on April 19 of that year. With a very young team, the Suns struggled under Watson. He compiled a 33-85 record. Watson’s only full season was 2016-17, when the team went 24-58.

The 38-year-old Watson played collegiately at UCLA and in the NBA for 10 seasons. He often spoke of his long talks with John Wooden, emphasized togetherness and a family atmosphere but wins were hard to come by.

And owner Robert Sarver apparently didn’t like what he saw. Phoenix is 0-3 and two of the losses were especially ugly. The Suns were blown out 124-76 by the Portland in their season opener Wednesday night, the most one-sided loss in franchise history. Phoenix was routed by the Clippers in Los Angeles 130-88 on Saturday night.

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CELTICS: The league fined guard Kyrie Irving $25,000 for responding to a fan with inappropriate language. Irving spoke to a fan at halftime of Boston’s 102-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

PELICANS: The NBA fined center DeMarcus Cousins $25,000 for language he used toward a fan late in a loss to Memphis on Wednesday night.

SUNDAY’S GAMES

TIMBERWOLVES 115, THUNDER 113: Andrew Wiggins banked in a 3-pointer from a few steps inside halfcourt as time expired to give Minnesota a win at Oklahoma City.

Carmelo Anthony hit a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds left to give the Thunder the lead before the Timberwolves inbounded to Wiggins, who rushed up the court and got free with help from a pick by Karl-Anthony Towns before pulling up for the winner.

NETS 116, HAWKS 104: Allen Crabbe scored 20 points, DeMarre Carroll had 17 and Brooklyn beat Atlanta at New York.


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