EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Byron Scott was fired Monday as coach of the New Jersey Nets, the team he led to the NBA Finals the past two seasons.

``It happens to almost every coach eventually: Your message isn't well received and taken onto the court,'' team president Rod Thorn said at a news conference announcing the change.

Assistant coach Lawrence Frank will take over on an interim basis and will stay at least through the end of the season, Thorn said. The Nets also hired Brian Hill as an assistant coach.

Scott, in his fourth season with the Nets, was in the final year of his contract. Management had refused to give him an extension with the team for sale. The Nets were sold for $300 million Friday to developer Bruce Ratner, who plans to move the team to Brooklyn.

Jason Kidd, the Nets' All-Star guard, clashed with Scott in the locker room last month after a 47-point loss at Memphis.

``He has absolutely no resentment or anger,'' said Scott's agent, Brian McInerney. ``He's going down as the winningest coach in Nets history.''

Thorn said he thought about firing Scott for more than a month and finally decided Sunday night that the time was right. He delivered the news to Scott on Monday morning after giving the job to Frank late Sunday night.

``They discussed the situation and both concluded that the timing of the move is to the benefit of the team,'' McInerney said. ``They decided another voice needed to be heard in the locker room.''

The Nets (22-20), in first place in the Atlantic Division, next play Tuesday night at Philadelphia.

Scott was ejected during the third quarter of Sunday's 110-91 victory over the Boston Celtics, which ended a five-game losing streak and kept New Jersey from dropping to .500.

Thorn considered other candidates from inside and outside the organization but settled on Frank because of his familiarity with the Nets' offense and his rapport with the players.

``Lawrence is a lot like Jeff Van Gundy, who I think is one of the best coaches in pro basketball,'' Thorn said.

After the clash with Kidd, Scott led the Nets to five victories in their next six games, helping to earn him the NBA's coach of the month award for December. But the Nets began sliding again this month, the low point coming Friday in an 85-64 loss to Miami _ a defeat that convinced Thorn a change needed to be made.

``I felt it would turn itself around, and for a while it did. But it became evident to me that it wasn't going to turn around,'' Thorn said. ``We have not played to the level we anticipated playing.''

Scott holds the franchise record with 149 coaching victories. After a 25-56 record in his first season, the Nets went 52-30 in 2001-02 and 49-33 in 2002-03 _ losing to the Lakers and the Spurs in the finals.

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AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan contributed to this report.