General Manager Fired by Hawks

Pete Babcock was fired as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, with eight games left in the team’s fourth consecutive losing season.

The Hawks never advanced past the second round of the playoffs and won only one Central Division title during Babcock’s 13 years at the helm.

“It’s time to try a new plan,” team President Stan Kasten said. “It’s time to try something else.”

Billy Knight, the former general manager of the Vancouver-Memphis Grizzlies, was named Babcock’s interim successor and will be considered for the job permanently, Kasten said.

Before this season, coach Lon Kruger guaranteed the Hawks would return to the playoffs. Instead, Atlanta is 29-45, and Kruger was fired in December.

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This year’s NBA draft lottery will be held May 22 in Secaucus, N.J., with the full 30 minutes to be televised by ABC.

The lottery will determine what team gets the first pick in the June 26 draft, expected to be high school star LeBron James of Akron, Ohio. The 13 teams that miss the playoffs will participate in the lottery, which will begin at 5 p.m. PST.