A team source said Wednesday that the Portland Trail Blazers fired coach Maurice Cheeks, as the team dropped further out of playoff contention with losses in seven of its last nine games.

The team scheduled a news conference at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Kevin Pritchard, Portland's director of player personnel, will be Portland's interim coach.

It has been rumored that Cheeks was on the way out for several months, although it was thought that because he wasn't fired by the All-Star break he would serve out the rest of the season.

The Blazers (22-33) were in 12th place in the Western Conference.