Skiles Is Hired to Coach Bulls

Scott Skiles was hired Friday as coach of the struggling Chicago Bulls. The former coach of the Phoenix Suns replaces Bill Cartwright, who was fired Monday after the team got off to a 4-10 start.

Skiles, 39, had a 116-79 record as coach of the Suns from 1999 to 2002 and was 5-8 in the playoffs. He quit in February 2002 and has not coached since.

The Bulls won 30 games last season under Cartwright, only six fewer than their total in the previous two seasons combined.

Rookies Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler were expected to build on the progress they made last season, and Scottie Pippen’s return was supposed to add veteran leadership.

Instead, the Bulls lost three of their first four games by an average of 27 points. After they lost the first three games of a five-game trip, General Manager John Paxson fired Cartwright, his former teammate.

Pete Myers served two games as interim coach, during which the Bulls stretched their losing streak to seven games.

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Dallas center Danny Fortson was suspended by the NBA for three games without pay for a flagrant foul against Phoenix forward Zarko Cabarkapa during Wednesday’s loss to the Suns.

Cabarkapa drove to the basket with less than three minutes left and Phoenix leading by 24 points. While he was in the air, Fortson shoved him, sending him sprawling.

Cabarkapa landed hard on his back, with his hands down to support his fall. He broke his right wrist and is expected to be sidelined at least six weeks.

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Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag was suspended for Friday night’s game against the Seattle SuperSonics for an unspecified violation of team rules. He has often clashed with Coach Jerry Sloan, but Sloan would not comment about the suspension.