Knicks May Buy Out Brown

Upset over Larry Brown’s record and public criticism of his players, the New York Knicks are considering buying out the final four years and $40-plus million of the coach’s contract, according to New York newspapers.

The Knicks declined to comment and would neither confirm nor deny reports Sunday by the New York Daily News and the New York Post that team President Isiah Thomas will be Brown’s successor. Brown has indicated that he will not resign.

Knicks management has not met with Brown since the end of a 23-59 season, according to sources, perhaps another indication of Chairman James Dolan’s dissatisfaction with the Hall of Fame coach. According to a team official, Brown has requested a meeting with Dolan, but Thomas has told Brown there is no reason for him to meet with the club’s owner.

Last month, the Daily News reported that a majority of the players blamed the Knicks’ worst season in 20 years on Brown, whose hiring last July was seen as a way to return the franchise to prominence.

Brown, 65, joined the Knicks last summer after a messy buyout with the Detroit Pistons.

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Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is expected to play in tonight’s Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs despite swelling in the right ankle that he twisted in the closing moments of Saturday’s Game 3 victory.

Nowitzki did nothing more than shoot free throws during practice Sunday and said he had put ice on the ankle every two hours. He said that the ankle remains stiff and that the pain is “up there” with other ankle injuries he has endured.

But asked if there was any way he would sit out Game 4, Nowitzki said, “If I lose a leg.”

Nowitzki landed awkwardly on the ankle after driving to the basket and drawing a sixth foul on Tim Duncan with 1:05 left.

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The Detroit Pistons will win Game 4, forward Rasheed Wallace guaranteed.

One day after a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers reduced the Pistons’ series lead to 2-1, Wallace declared the Pistons would win Game 4 and the series.

“I know we’re going to win it,” Wallace said. “Tomorrow night is the last game here in this building for this year.”

Wallace didn’t stop there.

“There’s only one team out there, two teams tops, that can really give us that good challenge that it’s like, ‘All right, we know we can’t make no mistakes against those teams,’ ” he said.

The Cavaliers aren’t one?

“Nah,” he said.