Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Billy King announced today that Maurice Cheeks has been hired as the 21st head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, just moments after they announced the firing of Jim O'Brien.  

Cheeks arrives in Philadelphia after three-plus seasons as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.  He recorded a mark of 162-139 (.538) in Portland, the fourth-highest win total in Blazers history.  During his time in Portland, the Blazers reached the NBA Playoffs twice, and his 2002-03 squad tied for second in the Pacific Division with a 50-32 record.

O'Brien was hired as the 20th coach of the 76ers on April 21, 2004 and posted a record of 43-39 in 2004-05.  Overall, in five seasons as an NBA head coach, O'Brien recorded a mark of 182-158 (.535), including a record of 139-119 (.539) with the Boston Celtics from 2000-04.

Chris Webber apparently wants out of Philadelphia, reportedly because he can't get along with Iverson. Webber on Monday denied the report, which ran in the New York Daily News over the weekend.

"It's a lie," Webber said in a statement released by the team. "There's no way it is true. I have no issue with Allen Iverson and I look forward to next season and building a championship team."

According to the Daily News, Webber confided to "several close friends" following the Sixers' first-round playoff loss to Detroit that playing alongside Iverson drove him bonkers.

"I can't play with him," Webber told a friend, according to the report. "He dribbles too much."

Chris Webber's excitement when he was traded to Philadelphia has quickly vanished and he now has stated that he cannot play with Allen Iverson.

"I can't play with him," Webber told one old friend. "He dribbles too much."

Webber apparently isn't very confident that he and Iverson can make a successful tandem starting next season. After lamenting Iverson's me-first approach, he told his pal: "I'd take a pay cut to get out of there."

With Webber's huge salary and frequent injury problems, it is unlikely that they will be able to deal him.

The brother of Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter Kyle Korver, the leading score for the Drake Dragons could miss all of next season while he recovers from knee surgery.

Klayton Korver, not to be mistaken with actor Ashton Kutcher, underwent surgery last month on his left knee after suffering a bone bruise at the beginning of the season.

"It's up for grabs," Drake coach Tom Davis said. "There's a long rehabilitation involved with this. We'll be prepared to go without him if it comes to that."

The 2004-05 got milk? NBA Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats and the 2004-05 NBA Sixth Man award recipient Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls headline a talented group of rookies named to the got milk? NBA All-Rookie Team, the NBA announced today.

Orlando?s Dwight Howard joined Okafor and Gordon as unanimous selections to the got milk? NBA All-Rookie First Team as each received 58 points. They were joined on the First Team by Philadelphia?s Andre Iguodala (56 points) and Chicago?s Luol Deng (33 points).

Okafor, the second overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, led all rookies in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg) and minutes played (35.6 mpg) and ranked second in blocks (1.71 bpg). He ranked fourth in the NBA and first among rookies with 47 double-doubles (points-rebounds), posting 19 consecutive from November 21 to January 1.

Gordon, a three-time recipient of the got milk? Rookie of the Month award, averaged 15.1 points on .411 shooting from the field, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this season and scored 10 or more points in the final quarter 21 times.  Howard, the first overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft, ranked in the top five in six statistical categories, including second in rebounding (10.0 rpg) and double-doubles (32), third in scoring (12.0 ppg), blocks (1.66 bpg) and minutes played (32.6 mpg) and fourth in field goal percentage (.520).  Iguodala, the only rookie to record a triple-double this season, ranked eighth in the league in steals per game (1.68), sixth in total steals (138) and steals per turnover (0.99).  Deng averaged 11.7 points on .434 shooting, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 61 games this season.

The NBA today released the NBA All-Rookie first and second team, with the Chicago Bulls dominating the first with the league's Sixth Man of the Year Ben Gordon and teammate Luol Deng both being selected.  Led by Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats, the first team was rounded out by first overall pick Dwight Howard and Sixer high flyer Andre Iguodala.

The second team was dominated by the Atlanta Hawks, with 2005 dunk champion Josh Smith and Josh Childress being joined by Net Nenad Krstic, Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic and Boston's Al Jefferson.

Suprising exclusions include J.R Smith of the New Oreans Hornets, Beno Udrih of the San Antonio Spurs, Devin Harris of the Dallas Mavericks and Bulls duo Andres Nocioni and Chris Duhon.

The voting panel consisted of the NBA's 30 head coaches, who were asked to select five players for the first team and five players for the second team, regardless of position.  Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team.  Two points were awarded for first team votes and one for second team vote.

Billy King, the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers since May 19, 1998, and the combination president/general manager since May 26, 2003, has a verbal agreement with chairman Ed Snider to extend his contract.

King's contract was due to expire after this season.

With Samuel Dalembert a free agent this offseason, King will have many decisions to make, including the future of Allen Iverson and Chris Webber.

Samuel Dalembert's free-agent stock value went up significantly during this season's playoffs.

"My main thing was just the whole experience of it and be able to be in a playoff game and know that, hey, I can play without getting fouled," Dalembert said. "They don?t call little fouls and you?re learning and everybody plays their best so now you can really find out who?s the best. That?s the thrill of it."

For Dalembert, who is a restricted free agent July 1, such strides couldn?t come at a better time.

While Sixers? president Billy King has insisted all season that he will match any offer Dalembert receives, he?s got to know by now that Dalembert?s postseason success can only be raising the price he?ll have to pay to keep his young center.

Richard Hamilton scored 10 of his 23 points in the final quarter as the Detroit Pistons had a dominant fourth and eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers 88-78 Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.

``We just didn't want to let this game slip away,'' Hamilton said. ``The fourth quarter we always say is our quarter.''

Detroit trailed for much of the game, but went ahead 62-61 when Tayshaun Prince made the first basket of the fourth quarter. An 8-0 run gave the Pistons an 80-69 lead with 4:48 left.

``They seem to flip a switch and turn it up on offense and defense,'' Sixers coach Jim O'Brien said. ``Championship teams can do that.''

Up 3-1 in the series, budding Pistons star Tayshaun Prince is still hobbled by an ankle sprain suffered in game 4?s win in Philadelphia.  That will not stop him, however, from suiting up for tonight?s game at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

"The thing about twisting your ankle, the pain stays sharp there for a good 2, 3 minutes," he said. "I think that's why you don't see a whole lot of guys get up right away. I tried to stay in the game right at the time, but I started feeling kind of worse."