LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike DAntoni resigned Wednesday after less than two seasons on the job. Deshaun Watson Womens Jersey . Team spokesman John Black confirmed DAntonis resignation, ending the brief tenure of the Lakers fourth head coach in less than three years. DAntoni went 67-87 after taking over the Lakers early in the 2012-13 season. He replaced the fired Mike Brown, who lasted just 71 games after replacing 11-time NBA champion coach Phil Jackson in 2011. The injury-plagued Lakers were 27-55 this season, their worst campaign in more than 50 years and the second-worst winning percentage in franchise history. With Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol sitting out large chunks of the season while the Lakers lost an NBA-worst 319 man-games to injuries, the 16-time NBA champion franchise missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons and only the third time in 38 years. "Given the circumstances, I dont know that anybody could have done a better job than Mike did the past two seasons," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. "On behalf of the Lakers, we thank Mike for the work ethic, professionalism and positive attitude that he brought to the team every day. We wish him the best of luck." The 62-year-old DAntoni had one year left on his contract, but wanted the Lakers to pick up his option year for 2015-16 to have any chance of success. The Lakers apparently refused, leading to DAntonis resignation. DAntoni walked away from a $4 million payday for next season, although he may receive a portion of that money as severance. A phone message left for DAntoni wasnt immediately returned. Despite the Lakers injuries on a roster consisting mostly of players on one-year contracts, Los Angeles fans largely directed their anger during a rare down season toward DAntoni. Lakers great Magic Johnson, who was sharply critical of DAntonis coaching style, hailed the news on his Twitter account. "Happy days are here again!" Johnson tweeted. "Mike DAntoni resigns as the Lakers coach. I couldnt be happier!" DAntoni also has coached the Nuggets, Suns and Knicks. He reached two Western Conference finals with Nash in Phoenix before having much less success in New York. "Whenever a coach isnt there anymore, for whatever reason, all of us in the fraternity feel badly," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said after the Spurs playoff victory over Dallas. "He is a heck of a coach and heck of a guy. You always feel badly when something like that happens. I just hope that what he wants is going to be what happens for him. He is a special guy." DAntonis signature up-tempo style of play seemed an odd match from the start with the aging, ball-dominating Bryant and the Lakers, who ran Jacksons deliberate triangle offence to perfection. Lakers owners Jerry and Jim Buss curiously chose DAntoni to replace Brown over Jackson, who strongly contemplated a return for a third stint on the Los Angeles bench. Jackson became the president of the Knicks in March. Kupchak said he will begin the search immediately for the Lakers fifth head coach since 2011 -- including Jackson, who walked away from the team after falling short of a third consecutive championship. DAntonis departure will allow the Lakers franchise overhaul to begin in earnest after their worst season since 1957-58 back in Minneapolis. Los Angeles missed the post-season for just the second time in the 17-season career of Bryant, who occasionally clashed with DAntoni. The Lakers have a top-10 pick in a strong draft and just three players under contract for next season, including Nash and Bryant. The fourth-leading scorer in NBA history will make more than $48 million over the next two years. A coaching change also might make the Lakers more attractive to Gasol, an unrestricted free agent who intimated he wouldnt consider returning if DAntoni still coached the team. Kupchak has said the Lakers are very interested in re-signing the 7-foot Spaniard, one of the top available free agents. "There would have to be significant changes," Gasol wrote in Spanish on his personal blog recently. "Ive never concealed the fact that DAntonis style doesnt suit my game. Everybody knows this. I dont know if my decision will be swayed by whether Mike stays or leaves. Obviously, the coach is a very important factor for any team." After joining the Lakers on short notice last season, DAntoni was unable to assemble a contending team immediately around Bryant and Dwight Howard, who struggled to embrace the pick-and-roll game so important to DAntonis offence. Los Angeles won 45 games last season despite its awful start under Brown. But the Lakers lost Bryant to a torn Achilles tendon late in the regular season before getting swept out of the first round by San Antonio. Howard left the Lakers as a free agent last summer, fleeing to Houston for less money to escape the Lakers drama and high expectations. Bryant played in just six games this season after breaking a bone near his knee in December, and Los Angeles never had a consistently competitive team in his absence. Nash also missed most of the season with various injuries, but the 40-year-old point guard hopes to play again next season. DAntoni realized he would take the blame for the Lakers woes this season, and the veteran coach seemed comfortable with the prospect when the team packed up for the summer. "Every coach should be under scrutiny," DAntoni said two weeks ago. "Some coaches get fired even after the best years theyve ever had. ... Theres always things we could have done better, and its easier with hindsight. Things dont always go smoothly. For the most part, our guys were very competitive. For us, there are some silver linings in there, but in hindsight, its disappointing for everybody." Lonnie Johnson Womens Jersey . Trailing 4-1 in the final set, Sharapova steadied her erratic service game and took command again to beat the 56th-ranked American 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on clay at the Magic Box tennis centre. The ninth-ranked Russian looked to be cruising before McHale broke late in the second set to tie the match and then took her commanding lead in the final set after breaking Sharapova. Tytus Howard Womens Jersey . The Padres made the moves before Fridays game at Washington. They promoted infielder Jace Peterson from Double-A San Antonio and right-hander Kevin Quackenbush from Triple-A El Paso. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- When the Los Angeles Kings are on top of their formidable defensive game, they revel in the silence they can create in a frustrated road arena. Although theyre not used to the cheers and chants that filled Honda Center while Jonathan Quick composed his latest shutdown symphony Monday night, they plan to ride that momentum right back up the freeway. Quick made 36 saves, Marian Gaborik scored his third goal in two games, and the Kings beat the Ducks 3-1 to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series. Alec Martinez also scored for the Kings, who opened their first playoff series against their local rivals with two victories at a road arena packed with their own fans. The Ducks faithful had almost nothing to cheer during a remarkable effort by the NHLs best defensive team. "It doesnt even feel like being on the road," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "We played really good in this building in the regular season. It was the same for us tonight." Game 3 is Thursday at Staples Center. Dwight King added an empty-net goal for Los Angeles, which has won six straight post-season games and is halfway to its third straight trip to the Western Conference finals. Less than two weeks ago, the Kings were down 0-3 in their first-round series against San Jose. The Kings defence is just that good -- and theyre also scoring just enough goals to beat even the high-powered Ducks. "We could only dream of this, really," said Kings defenceman Drew Doughty, who played more than 26 minutes. "They might say we dont deserve it, but we won two games here, and that was our goal." Los Angeles didnt need any last-minute heroics from Gaborik, who scored in the opening minute instead. Martinez added another first-period goal, and King scored after a bad pass by Cam Fowler with an extra Anaheim attacker. NHL post-season scoring leader Anze Kopitar had another assist for the Kings, who followed up their overtime victory in the opening game of the first post-season Freeway Faceoff with a methodical defensive performance against the high-flying Ducks. Los Angeles managed just nine shots in the final two periods, but Quick comfortably sat on a one-goal lead for more than 46 scoreless minutes until Kings empty-netter. "We found a way to squeak one out tonight because we have the best goalie in the world," captain Dustin Brown said. Patrick Maroon scored a power-play goal and Jonas& Hiller stopped 14 shots for the Ducks, who couldnt crack the Kings NHL-best defence despite controlling play for long stretches. DOnta Foreman Texans Jersey. The Kings played without injured defencemen Robyn Regehr and Willie Mitchell, yet still kept the Ducks offensive stars largely on the perimeter. Hart Trophy finalist Ryan Getzlaf was held to one assist, while Corey Perry still hasnt scored a point in the series. "Im ticked off right now," Getzlaf said. "Were in playoff time now, and there are no excuses for anything. Weve got to be better, Ive got to be better, and I expect my group to respond." The game didnt look like a defensive struggle in the opening minutes when Gaborik continued his post-season scoring spree with his third goal in roughly 13 minutes. The Slovak right wing, acquired from Columbus near the trade deadline, scored the tying goal in Game 1 with 7 seconds left in regulation before getting the overtime winner. Gaboriks line broke out on an odd-man rush on the opening shift of Game 2, and he turned the corner on defenceman Ben Lovejoy to skate in alone on Hiller for a short-side shot. Kopitar, the NHLs playoff scoring leader, set it up with his 10th assist of the post-season, giving him a point in every Kings game. "Its tough for you to have almost a half-breakaway for your first shot," Hiller said. "They were 100 per cent ready at the puck drop. They were just a little sharper, especially early. The first period wasnt our best. We kind of found our game later, but cant expect to come back every night." The Ducks evened it during 4-on-3 play midway through the period, with Maroons pass attempt deflecting off Kings defenceman Jake Muzzins stick. Los Angeles reclaimed the lead less than 2 1/2 minutes later when Martinezs shot from the point deflected off Anaheims Jakob Silfverberg, giving the Kings two goals on their first five shots. NOTES: D Jeff Schultz replaced Regehr in the Kings lineup, playing nearly 20 minutes. Schultz, the longtime Washington defenceman who spent this season in the AHL, is the fourth player to make his Kings debut in a post-season game, joining a club that includes current teammate Tanner Pearson, who did it last season. ... Doughty limped to the dressing room late in the second period after an unpenalized slash by Francois Beauchemin, but returned a few moments later. ... Getzlaf, Fowler and Perry had minus-2 ratings. ' ' '