Hornets’ Scott easily voted coach of the year

After guiding his team to a franchise-record 56-26 regular season, New Orleans’ Byron Scott was selected the NBA’s coach of the year Tuesday by a wide margin on the day his Hornets won the first playoff series by an NBA team representing the city.

Scott, 47, received 70 first-place votes, while the Boston Celtics’ Doc Rivers received 23 and the Houston Rockets’ Rick Adelman got 17.

Scott, whose team finished 39-42 last season, is in his eighth season as an NBA coach and twice led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals.

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Two former North Carolina players teamed up when Charlotte Bobcats part-owner Michael Jordan introduced Larry Brown as coach of the team -- his ninth NBA coaching job. Brown agreed to a four-year contract, returning to the state where he began coaching.

“How are you going to say no to Michael?� Brown, 67, said.

Brown, who has led teams to NBA and NCAA titles, replaced Sam Vincent, fired Saturday after one 32-50 season.

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No Boston Celtic or Atlanta Hawk will be fined or suspended by the NBA for Monday’s Game 4 skirmish in which the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett cleared out the Hawks’ Zaza Pachulia with an elbow and pushed off referee Ed Rush.

The Celtics’ Kendrick Perkins and the Hawks’ Marvin Williams acknowledged they stepped onto the court in response to the skirmish, an action that could have resulted in a one-game suspension.

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The Oklahoma City Council approved the final portion of its lease with the Seattle SuperSonics, including a clause requiring the team to include Oklahoma City in its name if it eventually relocates.