Crown-less Kings fire Adelman

Rick Adelman was fired by the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday despite leading the club to eight consecutive playoff appearances as the most successful coach in franchise history.

Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ president of basketball operations, gave only murky reasons for the decision, which probably was caused by clashing egos and the empty trophy case of owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, who are widely thought to be behind Adelman’s departure.

Sacramento was eliminated from the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs.

“I came to the conclusion that continuing this way just wasn’t feasible,” said Petrie, who also hired Adelman – his former roommate from their playing days – when both worked in Portland. “The dynamic that needed to be there to help it move forward just wasn’t there.”

The Kings also declined to renew the contracts of Adelman’s four assistants: Elston Turner, T.R. Dunn, Bubba Burrage and Pete Carril, the Hall of Fame former Princeton coach who spent nine of the last 10 years as a Sacramento assistant.

Jefferson may be sidelined

New Jersey forward Richard Jefferson is listed as doubtful for today’s Game 2 of the Nets’ Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Miami Heat because of a bone bruise in his right ankle.

An MRI exam was performed on Jefferson’s ankle and was negative – as was an X-ray taken shortly after he was injured during the third quarter of New Jersey’s 100-88 win in the series opener Monday night.

Marshall backs off quote

Donyell Marshall claims he didn’t mean what he said about his Cavaliers.

Cleveland’s forward claimed before Game 2 against Detroit that a quote of his didn’t imply the Pistons would win the best-of-7 series.

On Monday, Marshall was asked about the Cavaliers’ youth vs. the Pistons’ experience. He said: “Detroit has the knowledge from winning a championship two years ago, and going to the championship last year. I think their knowledge is going to overtake our youth right now.”