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Bobcats press on with Bickerstaff on his way out

Mar 14, 2007 - 1:26 PM Sacramento (28-35) at Charlotte (23-41) 7:00 pm EDT

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Charlotte Bobcats will look to win a few more games for outgoing coach Bernie Bickerstaff.

One day after finding out Bickerstaff will not be guiding the team next season, the Bobcats take on the sliding Sacramento Kings.

Michael Jordan, Charlotte's managing member of basketball operations, announced on Tuesday that Bickerstaff would not return as coach next season. Bickerstaff has been invited to remain with the team in an undisclosed front office capacity.

The 1987 NBA Coach of the Year, Bickerstaff was put in charge of the Bobcats basketball operations in 2003 and plucked forwards Gerald Wallace and Primoz Brezec in the expansion draft, both of whom evolved into starters.

But overall, Bickerstaff has struggled. The Bobcats won 18 games in their inaugural season and 26 last season. They are 23-41 this season, ending a season-high eight-game losing streak with a 119-108 victory over Orlando on Monday.

The Kings have lost three straight games, including two since mercurial forward Ron Artest returned to the lineup. Artest was excused from the team on March 5 after being arrested on felony charges of domestic violence but was reinstated last Saturday.

Sacramento defeated Charlotte, 135-120, in the only meeting between the teams on February 28 as Kevin Martin scored 36 points.