NBA Suns tab Terry Porter as coach

AFP, June, 2008

PHOENIX, Arizona (AFP) — The Phoenix Suns named Terry Porter their new coach and will introduce him at a news conference next week, the National Basketball Association team said Saturday.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr, who butted heads with previous Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, hired a former teammate in Porter, who had worked as the top assistant to Flip Saunders with the Detroit Pistons the past two seasons.

Saunders was sacked on Tuesday, days after Detroit lost in the Eastern Conference finals for a third straight season.

But instead of taking over from Saunders, Porter will replace D'Antoni, who left the Suns in May to take the helm of the New York Knicks.

"We had an impressive list of candidates, but Terry stood out based on his leadership, his...