Game Time: Rockets 95, Hornets 84

With this loss, New Orleans is now 9-3 since Tyson Chandler returned to their lineup after the trade to OKC was rescinded.

There are two possible reasons why the Hornets management agreed to the initial deal:

They had to save money, even at the expense of trashing the current season. If this is indeed the case, then the team should be sold, relocated, or both.

Monday's action

• Thunder rally to knock off Spurs
• Rockets top Hornets without Yao
• Blazers secure rare winning season
• Nuggets down short-handed Nets
• Bobcats make Raptors look extinct

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FOXSports.com analysis

• Rosen: Is Wade MVP-worthy?
• Rosen: Spurs can't match Lakers
• Hill: Doc Rivers' dilemma
• O'Connor: Stern needs to relax rule
• Galinsky: NBA Power Rankings

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Video

• Hill: Should Wade be MVP?

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Photos

• Hill: NBA's 10 most overpaid players
• Hill: NBA's 10 most underpaid players

"You ain't bleep!"

Then some scuffling followed by generic shouting, and various thumps and bumps — before everything quieted down.

In any event, we completed the rout in the second half, eventually winning by 101-83. Rockford was led by Jim Lampley's 22 points and 126 rebounds, while Rochester's leading lights were Thirdkill (25 points) and Brian Christensen (nine rebounds).

Shortly after the game, we discovered what the halftime fuss was all about.

It seemed that the home team had a soda dispenser in their locker room, and during Klucas' excoriation of his players' effort, David Thirdkill walked over to the apparatus and started filling a paper cup with soda. Seeing this, Klucas freaked out. Because of their miserable performance, there'd be no soda for his players.

That's when the frustration of their losing season boiled over.

Thirdkill ignored his coach's order and continued filling the cup. Whereupon Klucas stormed over, reached out, and knocked the half-filled cup to the floor.

Thirdkill reacted by grabbing Klucas in a headlock, and threatening to punch his face in.The other players took a few moments to consider what they should do about the turn of events. Eventually, a few of them interceded and broke up the melee before Thirdkill could actually started punching away.

Klucas was fired later that night. And guess who the interim coach was ... David Thirdkill.

After winning one game, Thirdkill was replaced by Scott Carlin, who was too nice to be a successful coach at this level. And the franchise was transplanted to Omaha (Neb.) after the 1989-90 season.