6A — BAKER CITY HERALD
TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2021
Stotts ends 9-year run as
Trail Blazers’ head coach
By Anne M. Peterson
AP Sports Writer
PORTLAND— No team in
the NBA has a longer active
streak of postseason appear-
ances than the Portland Trail
Blazers, who have gotten
there in each of the last eight
seasons.
That wasn’t enough to save
Terry Stotts, and Portland
will have a new coach next
season.
The Trail Blazers and
Stotts parted ways Friday,
ending a nine-year run that
saw the team good enough to
get to the playoffs — but not
good enough to get past the
fi rst round in four of the last
fi ve seasons.
“I have the utmost respect
for Terry and what he has
accomplished these past nine
seasons,” Blazers President
Neil Olshey said. “This was
a diffi cult decision on both
a personal and professional
level but it’s in the best inter-
est of the franchise to move in
another direction.
“Terry will always hold
a special place in the Trail
Blazer family and the Port-
land community. We relied on
the integrity, professionalism
and consistency he brought
to the job every day and we
wish he and Jan nothing but
the best.”
It was being termed as a
mutual decision. The move
was made one day after
Portland’s season ended with
a six-game, fi rst-round ouster
at the hands of the Denver
Nuggets, a defeat that had
Blazers guard Damian Lil-
lard taking to social media
after the game to indicate his
frustration.
“Just like at the end of
every year, we are all evalu-
ated,” Stotts said after the
season fi nale against Denver
and as speculation about his
status immediately started
to grow. “We will see what
happens.”
It didn’t take long to get an
answer.
Stotts, 63, was the NBA’s
fourth longest-tenured coach
in his current job behind only
San Antonio’s Gregg Popov-
ich, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra
and Dallas’ Rick Carlisle.
He went 402-318 in his nine
regular seasons in Portland,
with the eight playoff berths,
and led the team to the West-
ern Conference fi nals in 2019
— where the Blazers were
swept by Golden State.
Well-liked throughout the
league, Stotts was an assis-
tant under Carlisle with the
Mavericks for four years be-
fore taking over the Blazers.
One of his most memorable
seasons in Portland came in
2015-16, when the Blazers
overachieved and went to the
conference semifi nals — de-
spite losing starters LaMar-
cus Aldridge, Nic Batum,
Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts takes in the fi nal
moments of Portland s series-ending loss to the Denver
Nuggets in Game 6 of their fi rst-round NBA playoffs
matchup at Moda Center on Thursday, June 3, 2021.
“Terry will always hold a special place in the Trail
Blazer family and the Portland community.”
— Neil Olshey, Portland Trail Blazers president
Wesley Matthews and Robin
Lopez in the offseason.
Rumors about Stotts’
future with the Blazers began
swirling last month, but the
team’s elimination by Denver
sealed his fate. He had one
year left on his contract in
Portland.
The new coach, whoever
it is, will certainly be lured
by the chance to work with
one of the game’s dynamic
scorers in Lillard.
But Lillard fueled specu-
lation about his own future
in Portland following the
elimination loss to the Nug-
gets. He posted a photo of
himself in street clothes at
the Moda Center. The cap-
tion that he added quoted
the late rapper and activist
Nipsey Hussle.
“How long should I stay
dedicated?” he wrote. “How
long til opportunity meet
preparation?”
If he stays, Lillard will no
doubt have input into who
the Blazers choose to be
their new coach.
Portland fi nished the
regular season 42-30 and
earned the sixth seed in the
Western Conference. The
team was riding momentum,
having won 10 of its fi nal 12
regular-season games.
The Blazers were also
healthy, with both big man
Jusuf Nurkic and guard
CJ McCollum back from
extended absences because
of injuries.
But once again, the playoff
trip was brief.
Lillard averaged a league-
best 34.3 points and 10.2
assists in the playoffs, after
averaging 28.8 points and
7.5 assists during the regu-
lar season.
He had 55 points, includ-
ing a playoff record 12
3-pointers and 10 assists in
Game 5 against the Nug-
gets, but Portland still lost,
147-140 in double overtime.
“We’ve got to keep fi ght-
ing, keep working and keep
coming back to battle,”
Lillard said. “Regardless of
how it ended, we are always
going to have our heads held
high, have class. They won,
congratulations to them,
but it’s back to the drawing
board to us.”
A four-time All-Star,
Lillard just wrapped up
his ninth NBA season. The
closest he’s come to a title was
that quick trip to the West
fi nals in 2019.
“We didn’t win a champion-
ship, so obviously where we
are now isn’t good enough,”
he said.
Nurkic, who averaged 11.5
points and nine rebounds but
missed time with a fractured
right wrist, has one year left
on his contract — but only
$4 million is guaranteed.
He didn’t sound committed
to returning next season,
explaining it had to be the
“right situation.”
But when asked what the
right situation would be,
Nurkic replied: “I don’t know.
But it’s not this.”
McCollum, Lillard’s back-
court teammate, averaged
21.3 points this season, his
best since joining the league
in 2013. But he missed games
with a fractured foot.
Ten-time All-Star Carmelo
Anthony, who fi lled a key
role off the bench for Port-
land this season, will be an
unrestricted free agent, along
with Enes Kanter. Norman
Powell has a player option for
next season.
Stotts said he was proud
of what Portland was able to
accomplish, given the injuries
and disruptions caused by the
coronavirus.
“What we did with CJ and
Nurk missing games, I was
proud of that,” Stotts said.
“At the end of the season, to
do what we did was pretty
impressive.”
In the end, it just wasn’t
impressive enough.
TENNIS
Serena loses, Roger Federer
withdraws from French Open
other things, but not about that.”
AP Sports Writer
Her defeat came hours after Federer with-
PARIS — Serena Williams turns 40 in Sep- drew, saying he needed to let his body recover
tember. Roger Federer hits that milestone the ahead of Wimbledon after a long third-round
month before. No one knows how many more
victory that ended at nearly 1 a.m. on Sunday.
French Open appearances each will make,
Wimbledon — which Federer has won eight
and this year’s tournament ended for both on
times and Williams seven — begins June 28.
Sunday, June 6.
“I’m kind of excited to switch surfaces,” Wil-
Williams fell way behind and could not put
liams said. “Historically I have done pretty well
together a comeback against a much younger
on grass.”
and less-experienced opponent in the fourth
She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles;
round at Roland Garros, losing 6-3, 7-5 to Elena Federer has won 20. They are two of the sport’s
Rybakina — who wasn’t even born when the
greatest and most popular players, so it was
American made her tournament debut in 1998. quite a blow to the tournament, its TV part-
Asked whether that might have been her
ners and tennis fans to see both gone from the
last match at the clay-court major, Williams
French Open fi eld one after the other — and
responded: “Yeah, I’m defi nitely not thinking
a week after Naomi Osaka pulled out, citing a
about it at all. I’m defi nitely thinking just about need for a mental health break.
By Jerome Pugmire
Umatilla County deputy
drowns in Minam River
■ Deputy Jason Post, 34, started his career in 2010
East Oregonian
UMATILLA COUNTY — The Umatilla
County Sheriff’s Offi ce identifi ed Jason Post
as the deputy who drowned Saturday, June
5, while on the Minam River in Wallowa
County.
Post was 34 and leaves behind a wife and
baby girl.
The sheriff’s offi ce in a press release
reported Post and three other adults were
thrown from a raft in an accident.
“Deputy Jason Post did not reach shore
and his body was found shortly afterward,”
according to the sheriff’s offi ce.
Post began his career in 2010 as a reserve
offi cer for the Umatilla County Sheriff’s
Offi ce and in 2013 was hired as a full-time
patrol deputy. He was a fi eld training offi cer
and a mentor to many offi cers.
“He was well respected and loved
throughout the entire law enforcement
community,” the press release stated.
Umatilla County Parole and Probation in
mid-April hired Post as a probation offi cer.
“He was known for his devotion to his
family,” according to the press release, “and
he was very open about making the career
change so he could focus on family and
spend more time with them.”
Umatilla County sheriff’s deputies and
other law enforcement agencies escorted
Post’s body from the Loveland Funeral
Chapel in La Grande, to home in Pendle-
ton, where local law enforcement and fi rst
responders gathered to honor him.
“Thank you for the overwhelming sup-
port that was demonstrated by so many
of our extended law enforcement family
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce/Contributed Photo
Jason Post served as a Umatilla Coun-
ty sheriff’s deputy starting in 2013 and
in April 2021 transitioned to a proba-
tion offi cer for the county. The sheriff’s
offi ce reported Post died Saturday,
June 5, 2021, in a rafting accident on
the Minam River in Wallowa County.
yesterday as we brought him home,” the
sheriff’s offi ce stated. “We express our deep-
est condolences to his entire family. We are
your family and our hearts are broken.”
Umatilla County sheriff’s Lt. Sterrin
Ward on June 7 reported staff from the
sheriff’s offi ce and parole and probation
met that morning for a debrief of the events
from the weekend.
“The family and agency are beginning
the process of planning for a ceremony, but
at this time no fi nalized announcements
have been made,” Ward reported.
The Wallowa County Sheriff’s Offi ce
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce or other
law enforcement agencies have yet to
provide details on the accident that led to
Post’s death.
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