Sports briefs: Pistons fire coach Maurice Cheeks

NBA

Pistons fire Cheeks

The Detroit Pistons fired coach Maurice Cheeks yesterday with the team languishing at 21-29. The Pistons had won four of six, including back-to-back blowouts at home against the Nets and Nuggets on Friday and Saturday.

Cheeks became the first coach (not including interim coaches) to leave or be fired at 50 or fewer games since Bob Weiss, who coached only 30 games for Seattle in 2005-06, according to STATS.

A person with knowledge of Detroit's plans said assistant John Loyer will be the interim coach, though it is not official. Cheeks, in his third try as an NBA head coach, began the season as Detroit's ninth coach since the 1999-2000 season.

Paul returns to Clippers in rout

Blake Griffin had 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and the host Clippers led by as many as 56 points in a 123-78 rout of the 76ers. The Clippers led 46-15 after a quarter, went ahead 52-15 a minute into the second quarter and extended it to 89-33 in the third. Jamal Crawford scored 21 points and DeAndre Jordan had 10 points and 20 rebounds for the Clippers, who were 12-6 while Chris Paul was sidelined with a separated shoulder. Paul had seven points and eight assists in his return. The 76ers shot 8-for-52 in the first half.

Victor Oladipo had 23 points, 13 in the fourth quarter, as the host Magic defeated the Pacers, 93-92. The Magic (16-37) has beaten the top team in each conference in back-to-back games, having stunned the Thunder on Friday when Tobias Harris (Half Hollow Hills West, Long Island Lutheran) slammed home a fast-break pass from Maurice Harkless (St. John's) at the buzzer . . . Kyrie Irving had 28 points as the host Cavaliers won back-to-back games for the first time in a month with a 91-83 overtime victory over the Grizzlies . . . Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points for the Mavericks in a 102-91 win over the host Celtics, extending the Mavs' winning streak to five. Rajon Rondo had 15 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds for the Celtics . . . Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points and Joakim Noah had 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Bulls held off the host Lakers, 92-86 . . . Nene Hilario scored 18 points as the host Wizards beat the Kings, 93-84.

TENNIS

Italy tops U.S. in Fed Cup

Karin Knapp won her second match of the weekend and gave Italy a 3-1 win over the United States in their Fed Cup first-round match in Cleveland. Knapp defeated American Alison Riske, 6-3, 7-5, to give Italy the victory in the best-of-five series. Knapp also defeated Christina McHale on Saturday, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, before Italy's Camila Giorgi defeated Madison Keys, 6-2, 6-1. -- AP