Nov 18 (Reuters) - The Houston Rockets fired head coach Kevin McHale on Wednesday after the team made a stumbling 4-7 start to the season, replacing him on an interim basis with his assistant J.B. Bickerstaff.
Though McHale led the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals last season and compiled a 193-130 record in four-plus seasons with the franchise, his position had become increasingly tenuous following blowout losses in their last four games.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey announced that Bickerstaff would take over as interim coach when Houston host the Portland Trail Blazers later on Wednesday.