EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill all will miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ upcoming road trip with injuries, leaving the struggling club without its top three big men indefinitely.
Howard has a torn labrum in his right shoulder, and Gasol has a concussion after taking an elbow in the face late in Sunday night’s loss to Denver. Hill, a key backup to both starting big men, has a right hip injury.
The three injuries are the latest blows for the Lakers (15-18), who still haven’t meshed despite a star-studded roster, a bulging payroll and an early-season coaching change.
Los Angeles has lost three straight and four of five since beating the Knicks on Christmas, falling to 11th place in the Western Conference.
“The NBA is unforgiving, and nobody is feeling sorry for us,” Los Angeles coach Mike D’Antoni said.
The Lakers’ biggest concern is Howard, who hurt his shoulder in last Friday’s loss to the Clippers and aggravated it in Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets while grabbing a career high-tying 26 rebounds. The six-time All-Star center said he won’t need surgery, but he’ll sit out for at least a week before his injury is re-evaluated.
AP Source: Skiles
out as Bucks coach
A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that Scott Skiles is out as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The decision to part ways came on Monday, two days after the Bucks lost their fourth straight game to fall to 16-16 on the season. USA Today first reported the move.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.
Skiles was 162-182 and in his fifth season with the Bucks.
The timing of the move was curious because the Bucks were in seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
But the hard-nosed, defensive-minded coach sometimes had difficulty meshing with a roster that was built around scoring guards Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis.
