PORTLAND, Ore., May 19 -- The Portland Trail Blazers have fired head coach Rick Adelman.
The Blazers, who were beaten by the Houston Rockets in the first round, were 47-35 under Adelman this season.
Adelman led the Blazers to a 291-154 record in five seasons.
Adelman, 47, took over as head coach on Feb. 18, 1989, and the Blazers reached the NBA finals twice in his tenure, losing to Detroit in 1990 and Chicago in 1992.
'While I can't say enough about the accomplishments of our team under the direction of Rick Adelman, I have had to make the very difficult decision that a change at this time is necessary,' said Paul Allen, owner and chairman of the Trail Blazers.
'We realized much success during Adelman's tenure and I offer my deepest gratitude for his efforts that resulted in the Blazers becoming one of the league's elite teams. He served well during one of the brightest periods in the organization's history.'
