Brown Not Expected Back This Season

Larry Brown won’t coach the New York Knicks in Wednesday’s regular-season finale after an acid-reflux condition that sent him to the hospital last Thursday in Cleveland and forced him to miss the last three games, ESPN reported.

Meanwhile, the New York Daily News reported that the Knicks took out an insurance policy on Brown’s five-year, $50-million contract that would free the team from paying him if he’s forced to resign because of health reasons.

The newspaper also said the contract would not prevent Brown, 65, from taking another NBA or college job if he and the Knicks part ways.

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Mike Montgomery will return as coach of the Golden State Warriors next season, top executive Chris Mullin said with one game left in the team’s 12th consecutive losing season.

Montgomery, who left Stanford in 2004 for a four-year, $10-million contract, is 68-95 with the Warriors, including 34-47 this season.

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The Seattle SuperSonics exercised Coach Bob Hill’s contract option for the 2006-07 season, 3 1/2 months after they promoted him to replace the fired Bob Weiss.

Seattle is 21-29 under Hill.

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Former Minnesota Timberwolf guard Fred Hoiberg, 33, announced his retirement, saying he feared playing with a heart that was surgically repaired 10 months ago.

Hoiberg, who will join the team’s front office, underwent surgery in June for an aneurysm in his aortic root and was fitted with a permanent pacemaker. He was cleared to play in January but decided against it.

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Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag, who hasn’t played in four of the last five games, said he would retire after the season.

“I’ve run out of gas,” said Ostertag, 33. “I’m tired of being on the road. I just don’t have it.”

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Zach Randolph, already sidelined because of a knee injury, was suspended one game and fined by the Portland Trail Blazers for leaving the arena during a game against Golden State.

General Manager John Nash said Randolph “committed a series of separate actions that were insubordinate and detrimental to the team culminating in his decision to leave the arena during the third quarter of Saturday’s game while on the inactive list.”

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Denver Nugget rookie guard Julius Hodge was upbeat while speaking publicly for the first time since being shot four times April 8 while driving on a Denver freeway after leaving a nightclub.

“I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know that I’m feeling good and on the road to recovery,” said Hodge, his left leg in a walking boot.

Hodge was shot twice in the left leg, once in the right leg and once in the left hip.

Adams County sheriff’s deputies have said they had no suspects and have not determined a motive.