Raptors' Mitchell wins coach of year

TORONTO -- Sam Mitchell was honored as the NBA coach of the year Tuesday after leading the Toronto Raptors to a franchise-record-tying 47 victories and their first Atlantic Division title.

"It's a great honor," Mitchell said. "It floors you. You're thankful. Words just can't express it."

Mitchell won the Red Auerbach Trophy in a decisive vote over Utah's Jerry Sloan. He picked up 49 first-place votes for a total of 394 points in balloting by 128 basketball writers and broadcasters. Sloan had 301 points followed by Dallas' Avery Johnson with 268.

Mitchell, the sixth coach in Toronto's team's history, guided the Raptors to an NBA-best 20-game improvement (27-55) over the 2005-06 season.

Seattle makes changes

SEATTLE -- The Seattle SuperSonics began overhauling their basketball operations on Tuesday, firing head coach Bob Hill and removing Rick Sund as general manager following one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Seattle went 31-51 in Hill's only full season as head coach, the Sonics' worst record since they finished with an identical mark in 1985-86.

-- AP