Basketball: Bulls sack coach

The Chicago Bulls, struggling near the bottom of the NBA's eastern conference after losing three of their last four games, fired coach Scott Skiles yesterday.

The Bulls were considered among the teams likely to contend for the eastern conference championship this season but got off to a miserable start and struggled to a 9-16 record, third worst in the conference and putting them last in the central division.

The latest loss came at home on Sunday, a crushing 116-98 defeat to the Houston Rockets, as boos rained down from the United Centre crowd, many of whom left early.