Los Angeles  - P J Carlesimo's stay in Oklahoma City was shorter than his stay in Seattle.

Carlesimo, the coach of the relocated Oklahoma City Thunder, was fired Saturday after a league-worst 1-12 start, the team announced.

Assistant Scott Brooks was named interim coach and will guide the Thunder in Saturday night's game at New Orleans. Oklahoma City has lost 10 straight games by an average of 14 points.

Carlesimo was hired prior to the start of the 2007-08 season, when the team was known at the Seattle SuperSonics. With teenage rookie Kevin Durant as the centerpiece, the SuperSonics went 20-62 before moving to Oklahoma City this summer.

Durant was the 2008 Rookie of the Year but appeared to have tuned out Carlesimo this season. The Thunder blew a 15-point lead in Wednesday's 20-point home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and were booed by their basketball-crazed fans for the first time in Friday's home 105-80 setback to New Orleans.

This was the third head coaching job for Carlesimo, a long-time assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs. He also has coached Portland and Golden State and has an all-time record of 204-296.

An exacting instructor who came to the NBA after a successful run at Seton Hall University, Carlesimo is best known for being attacked and choked by Warriors player Latrell Sprewell during a practice in December 1997.

Sprewell was suspended without pay by the NBA for the rest of the season, the longest non-drug ban in NBA history at the time.

A fringe player for 11 seasons, Brooks served as an assistant with Denver (2003-06) and Sacramento (2006-07) before joining Carlesimo's staff. He will have his hands full as he inherits a team that is 29th of 30 teams in scoring, 25th in defence, last in shooting percentage and with the worst record in turnovers. (dpa)