Suns remove interim tag from Alvin Gentry’s title

As expected, the Phoenix Suns are sticking with Coach Alvin Gentry.

Suns General Manager Steve Kerr removed the interim tag from Gentry’s title Saturday, calling him “the right man to lead our team into the future.”

Kerr said when the season ended that his first order of business was to re-sign Gentry, who took over the struggling Suns on Feb. 16 after Terry Porter was fired just four months into his first season with the club.

Gentry’s contract is for two years with a third-year option.

Gentry, 54, returned the Suns to the free-form style of Porter’s predecessor Mike D’Antoni, guiding the team to an 18-13 record despite the absence of injured All-Star Amare Stoudemire for all but one game.

Phoenix finished 46-36, the second-best record of any team that failed to make the playoffs since the field expanded to 16 teams 25 years ago.

This is Gentry’s fourth stint as an NBA head coach. He was with the Clippers (2000-03), Detroit (1997-2000) and Miami (1995).

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Perkins can play

Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins will not face a suspension for an elbow that hit Orlando’s Mickael Pietrus in the chin and throat and drew a flagrant foul 1.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed that the league reviewed the play and it stands as called. Perkins hit Pietrus while the two were battling for position away from the ball in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

The Magic already has had two players suspended this postseason. Dwight Howard was suspended for elbowing Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert in the head in their first-round series, and Rafer Alston sat out Game 3 against Boston after slapping Eddie House in the back of the head.

The Celtics trail the Magic, 2-1, with Game 4 today in Orlando.

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Back to Sac.?

The Sacramento Kings plan to interview former coach Eddie Jordan about a possible return to the club he briefly coached in the late 1990s. Jordan was fired by the Washington Wizards last November early in his sixth season with the club.

Jordan had his first head coaching job in Sacramento from March 1997 until 1998, when he was fired by the Kings after going 33-64. He was replaced by Rick Adelman, who led the Kings to eight consecutive winning seasons and playoff berths.