Cartwright Is Dismissed by the Bulls

Coach Bill Cartwright was fired Monday, the latest casualty in the Chicago Bulls’ seemingly endless rebuilding project.

“There’s no question that this team has underachieved, and probably for many reasons. Is it a coaching problem? I don’t think so,” interim Coach Pete Myers said.

“I told the guys today that it’s time for you all to pull that mirror out now. We’ve changed coaches, now you guys are going to take the heat. Now you have to stand up.”

If they don’t, more changes are probable. Trade rumors were swirling around the team, with talk over the weekend of a deal with Toronto for Jalen Rose.

Although that trade hasn’t happened, General Manager John Paxson has made it clear he’s not happy with the team’s 4-10 start.

“This represents the first change, but not necessarily the last,” Paxson said.

The Bulls lost three of their first four games by an average of 27 points, including consecutive 30-point blowouts. They share last place in the Central Division and have lost five in a row.

Cartwright was 51-100 after replacing Tim Floyd as coach Dec. 28, 2001.

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Cleveland guard Ricky Davis was benched for a few days and forward Ira Newble was suspended for one game by Coach Paul Silas.

Silas refused to specify why he is punishing Davis, who is averaging 15.3 points. Davis and Silas have clashed before.

Newble and Silas exchanged insults after the Cavaliers’ loss to Atlanta on Saturday night.

“He had to make a stand,” Newble said. “I disrespected his authority, and you don’t do that. He’s a tough-nosed coach, and he’s not going to put up with it.”

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Washington point guard Gilbert Arenas has a lower abdominal strain and is day to day.

Arenas was injured in the fourth quarter Sunday against Seattle. Results of an MRI exam are expected today.

Hockey

Center Mario Lemieux will be out indefinitely because of an injured left hip that has sidelined him for more than three weeks.

Pittsburgh is 5-10-3-1, but 2-6-0-1 without Lemieux, who has not commented on the injury.

Colorado center Andrei Nikolishin will be out about three weeks after spraining his knee during the Avalanche’s loss to the Kings on Saturday.

Philadelphia’s Jeremy Roenick underwent an MRI exam Monday on his back, which has been bothering him for more than a week. The test showed no structural damage.

Baseball

Right-hander Jon Garland agreed to a $2.3-million, one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.... Atlanta claimed outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. off waivers from San Diego.

Four unidentified players tested positive for banned drugs during the recent World Cup and Americas Olympic qualifying tournaments.

There were two positives out of 52 tests in the World Cup in October at Havana and two positives out of 34 samples in this month’s Olympic qualifier at Panama City.

Miscellany

Stanford won the men’s and women’s team titles in frigid weather in the NCAA cross-country championships at Waterloo, Iowa.

Stanford placed four runners among the top six to repeat as the men’s champion with 24 points, the second-lowest total in the history of the NCAA meet. The women beat two-time defending champion Brigham Young, 120-128.

The United States defeated South Korea in straight games in the men’s volleyball World Cup at Fukuoka, Japan.

The U.S. is 6-1 in the tournament, a qualifier for next year’s Olympics at Athens.

Hurdler Damu Cherry was suspended for two years after testing positive for steroids, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said.

Passings

Bubba Hyde, a star outfielder in the Negro Leagues whose career spanned four decades, has died. He was 95. See Section B.