Bucks hire Skiles; Ginobili earns award

The Milwaukee Bucks need to play tougher defense and start sharing the ball.

So they’re turning to Scott Skiles, the man who owns the NBA’s single-game assist record -- and who once got into a fight with Shaquille O’Neal during his playing days.

The Bucks introduced Skiles as their new coach Monday, signing the former Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns coach to a four-year deal to replace Larry Krystkowiak.

Skiles, 44, was fired by the Bulls in December.

Skiles, drafted from Michigan State by the Bucks in the first round in 1986, said he has no illusions about turning around a team that began the season with playoff aspirations but finished 26-56.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Skiles said. “I don’t have any magic dust to sprinkle on people. We’re going to have to do it by working harder and playing better [defense], and the first step will be getting competitive every single night.”

------

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili -- good enough to be a starter on any team -- won the NBA’s sixth man award, given to the league’s best reserve.

Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring, averaging a career-high 19.5 points to go with 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

Ginobili got 123 of 124 first-place votes for 615 points. Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa came in second with 283 points, and the Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Terry was third with 44. Barbosa won the award last year and Ginobili was second.

The last sixth man award winner to lead his team in scoring was Milwaukee’s Ricky Pierce. He averaged 23 points when he won the award in 1990.