Memphis Grizzlies fire coach David Fizdale

The Memphis Grizzlies fired coach David Fizdale on Monday, with the team at 7-12 and a day after he benched center Marc Gasol for the fourth quarter of an eighth straight loss.

General manager Chris Wallace announced the move. Associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been named interim head coach.

“After a thorough evaluation, I decided a change in course was necessary to move forward and provide the team and organization its best chance at success this season and beyond,” Wallace said in a statement.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, Fizdale said the following about his departure: “I would like to thank the Memphis Grizzlies organization for allowing me the opportunity to lead this proud franchise and represent the city of Memphis. To Robert Pera, Joe Abadi, Chris Wallace, Ed Stefanski, John Hollinger and all the players, coaches, administration and support staff – I appreciate your belief in me. It was a great honor and experience to serve as your Head Coach and be part of the Memphis community. The city of Memphis is a special place and embodies a spirit that is second to none. I wish the organization and the players the best moving forward and hope they bring the fans the championship they so richly deserve. Go Grizz!”

Gasol, given a maximum deal by the Grizzlies in July 2015, sat throughout the fourth quarter of a 98-88 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Gasol leads the Grizzlies in points, rebounds and assists, and he was an All-Star in Fizdale’s inaugural season. But the center spent plenty of time after the game making it clear to reporters how upset he was at sitting out a full quarter.

“It’s a first for me, trust me, and I don’t like it one bit,” Gasol said. “I’m more (ticked) than I can show and frustrated.”

When asked Tuesday if Gasol had effectively gotten Fizdale fired, Wallace told Ronald Tillery of the Commercial-Appeal: “There was tension between the two. This is a factor but its not the overriding factor. We talked to Marc in real time about the same time we talked to coach Fizdale.”

Fizdale explained his decision before Gasol spoke in the locker room and said he simply was trying to win a game while sticking with his reserves. Fizdale said taking a risk as head coach means sometimes upsetting a player or two.

“If I’m not on the floor, I’m not valued,” Gasol said. “I’m sure (the coaching staff) knew that would hurt me the most.”

* NBA players react to Fizdale’s firing

The move caught the NBA by surprise. Dwyane Wade, who played with the Miami Heat when Fizdale was an assistant coach, wrote on Twitter that he needed answers . LeBron James retweeted a comment on Twitter calling the firing so stunning that the writer triple-checked the original ESPN report to make sure he wasn’t being duped by a fake account.

“I need some answers. Feels like my man was a fall guy,” James wrote.

I need some answers. Feels like my man was a fall guy

— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 27, 2017

Portland coach Terry Stotts called Fizdale’s firing very disappointing.

“Losing in this league and not meeting expectations in this league takes its toll on everybody,” Stotts said before a game in New York. “Owners, general managers, coaches, players, and handling that is a strain on relationships, and it’s disappointing. It’s probably the most difficult part of being in the NBA, is managing that part of the season.”

Fizdale became the franchise’s 13th head coach on May 29, 2016, and he went 50-51.

The Grizzlies reached the postseason for a seventh straight time in Fizdale’s first season, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs. Fizdale was fined $30,000 by the NBA for a rant over officiating after a loss in Game 2.

Memphis let Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and Tony Allen all leave as free agents and signed Ben McLemore, Tyreke Evans and Mario Chalmers to retool the roster around Gasol and point guard Mike Conley and give Fizdale a faster lineup.

The moves appeared to be working when Memphis started this season an NBA-best 5-1. The Grizzlies stood atop the Western Conference with a win over the Golden State Warriors and two over Southwest Division rival Houston.

But Conley has been out since Nov. 17, resting an aching left Achilles tendon . Then the team lost its eighth straight on Sunday, matching the longest skid for this franchise since Feb. 11-March 3, 2009.

This will be the second time as an interim coach for Bickerstaff, who will start Wednesday night in San Antonio against the Spurs. He joined the Grizzlies in June 2016 after five seasons with the Houston Rockets, including an interim coach stint that lasted most of 2015-16. Bickerstaff went 37-34 in that role, which included a playoff berth.

He also was an assistant coach with Minnesota and in Charlotte under his father, Bernie Bickerstaff.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.