Scott Accepts Hornet Offer

Byron Scott is set to become the coach of the New Orleans Hornets, the team’s third coach in three seasons.

Scott said Thursday on ESPN, where he works as an analyst, that he had accepted the job.

“They were real interested in me, as I was in them, and I jumped on it,” Scott said.

Hornet owner George Shinn was not available for comment, and a team spokesman also declined to comment. Shinn had said Scott, a former Laker player, was among his top choices to replace Tim Floyd, who was fired May 7 after one season.

Scott, 44, coached the Nets to the NBA Finals the last two seasons, with losses to the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. He had a 149-139 record in 3 1/2 seasons before he was fired from the only head coaching job he has held in the NBA.

The Hornets fired current Cleveland Coach Paul Silas after the Hornets’ first-round elimination in the 2003 playoffs.

After that dismissal, Shinn said he hoped to have a new coach with proven NBA playoff experience. However, he gave a second chance to Floyd, who had struggled with the rebuilding Chicago Bulls in his first NBA job.

The Hornets got off to a strong start under Floyd but finished 41-41.

New Orleans again failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs. It lost to Miami in seven games.

Next season the team moves into the tougher Western Conference.

*

Clipper forward Elton Brand underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee while simultaneously having calcium deposits removed from his right ring finger, the team announced Thursday.

Brand, who declined an invitation to play for the U.S. Olympic team in Athens, is expected to be at full strength before training camp opens in October.

*

Reggie Miller was fined $5,000 by the NBA for kicking the ball into the stands after Indiana’s loss to Detroit in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.

This was the second time the Pacers have been fined in the series. Ron Artest was fined $10,000 on Tuesday for making an obscene gesture during Game 2.

Miller, a playoff hero many times for Indiana, scored only three points, shooting one of four from the field in the 85-78 defeat Wednesday night at Auburn Hills, Mich.

The Pacers trail, 2-1, in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 tonight at Auburn Hills.

Artest has been in a shooting slump in the series, and the Pacers will need him to snap out of it if they hope to win Game 4. Through three games, Artest is 15 of 57 (.263) from the field.

*

New Boston Coach Doc Rivers has hired Dave Wohl and Tony Brown as assistants.

Wohl, a former Laker and Clipper assistant, was on Rivers’ staff in Orlando, and Brown has been an assistant in Toronto and Detroit.

Wohl has 30 years of NBA experience. Besides his time in L.A., Wohl also was an assistant for the Sacramento Kings and head coach of the New Jersey Nets from 1985 to ’87. He also worked in Miami’s front office.

Rivers was hired last month to replace interim Coach John Carroll. He was 171-168 in five seasons with Orlando before he was fired in November when the Magic opened with one victory and 10 consecutive losses.