Jones to Miss Game 6 for Funeral

K.C. Jones will not coach the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons in Thursday’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.

Jones will be in San Francisco to attend the funeral of his mother, Eula Jones, who died of natural causes Monday on K.C.’s 55th birthday.

The funeral will be Friday, and Jones will rejoin the Celtics for Saturday’s Game 7 at Boston Garden, if such a game is necessary. Boston leads the best-of-seven series, 3-2.

“It’s a tough, tough situation and we understand completely,” Celtic star Larry Bird said. “Myself, I don’t know if I could be out there under those circumstances. I’ve always said that family comes first. But K.C.’s got two families, his own and the Celtics.”

Teammate Kevin McHale said of Jones: “He’s a tough son of a gun. His mother dies and he was right out there with us. He was yelling and screaming out there like the rest of us. It’s just an honor playing for him.”

The coach left Boston Garden immediately after the game, without comment.

Assistant coaches Jim Rodgers and Chris Ford will be in charge of the team. The same two men also coached the Celtics in a game at the Silverdome earlier this season, on a night when Jones was ill. Boston won that game.