NBA: Grizzlies fire coach Joerger

Memphis Grizzlies. AFP FILE

LOS ANGELES, United States — The Memphis Grizzlies, swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs, on Saturday sacked Dave Joerger after three seasons as head coach.

“After careful consideration, I concluded that a change was needed to foster the strong culture required to achieve sustainable, long-term success for this organization, the city and our fans,” general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement.

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In a question-and-answer on the team’s website, Wallace added: “The decision was made because I believe you need a deeply committed leadership team in order to establish the strong culture needed for sustainable long-term success.

“I don’t want to get into specifics, but our goal now is to identify the best candidate for our organization.”

The Grizzlies limped into the playoffs, finishing the regular season 3-14.

They coped with a bevy of injuries throughout the season, including Spanish center Marc Gasol’s broken foot, a knee injury to forward Zach Randolph and point guard Mike Conley’s Achilles tendon injury.

Joerger, who took over as head coach in Memphis in June of 2013 after serving as an assistant coach, took the team to the playoffs in each of his three seasons, building a record of 147-99.