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MINNEAPOLIS -- As his 23rd season as an NBA coach entered the home stretch, Rick Adelman looked tired. Tired of trying to wring a few more wins out of a talented, defensively deficient roster. Tired of getting on an airplane at midnight after a game and landing somewhere across the country at 3 a.m. Tired, most of all, of putting his wife Mary Kay and her lingering health issues second to a job that, when done right, is all-consuming. So when he finally decided to step away, announcing his retirement from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, he did so with mixed feelings about the pressure-cooker life he is leaving behind and the one that awaits him. "It becomes your life, your familys life, an everyday routine," Adelman said of the NBA. "Its a real grind. You get some time off in the summer but its pretty much on your mind all the time, so theres some sadness but theres also a relief. Im ready and my wifes ready to move on to another phase. Were looking forward to that." Adelman and the Timberwolves had a mutual option in place in the four-year contract he signed in 2011. His announcement did not come as a surprise after the Wolves finished a disappointing 40-42, but it nevertheless marked an unceremonious end to a career that includes 1,042 victories, putting him eighth on the NBAs career list. He coached Western Conference powers in Portland and Sacramento and also had stops in Golden State and Houston. Adelman said the time is right for him to step aside and spend more time with Mary Kay, who has been treated for seizures over the last two years. He also thinks the Wolves need a fresh voice to help them try to persuade star power forward Kevin Love to remain in Minnesota. "If anything, I felt if I coached another year and then his future comes up and my future is gone, that makes it even harder," Adelman said. "I think its best for the organization to have somebody else coaching the team, give them a year to see what they can do and hear that voice. I think thats a much more positive situation for the organization. I feel strongly about that." After missing the playoffs for the third straight season, the 67-year-old Adelman decided it was time to walk away from one of the most quietly influential coaching careers in NBA history. The introverted coach worked below the radar for most of his career, but his impact on the league is unquestioned. Adelman won at least 50 games in a season 11 times in his career, led the Portland Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals appearances and then developed a post-passing offence in Sacramento that continues to influence the league. He had more modest success with Houston and Minnesota, but walks away with his fingerprints all over the league. While with the Kings, Adelman worked with assistant and former Princeton coach Pete Carril to fine-tune his famed "corner" offence, a precision system that maximized the talents of big men Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Brad Miller, all of whom were gifted passers from the elbow of the lane. "A lot of people have run the elbow action, but no ones run it like him," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "He started doing it in Portland and then in Sac, everywhere hes gone hes won for the most part. Hes one of the better coaches that weve ever had in the league and a lot of people dont realize that. And I think thats too bad. But hes been good for the game. Hes brought a lot to the game." "Ive stolen from him, very honestly," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. Adelmans final season in Minnesota was a frustrating one, with Nikola Pekovic missing 28 games, Chase Budinger never fully healthy after off-season knee surgery and a team that beat the Thunder, Heat, Spurs, Grizzlies, Rockets and Pacers but also lost to the Kings, Magic and Jazz. Now the team heads into a precarious summer, with President Flip Saunders needing to find the right coach and make the right personnel moves to keep Love, who can opt out of his contract after next season. Michigan States Tom Izzo, a friend of Saunders for years, ESPN analyst George Karl and former Memphis coach Lionel Hollins are among the candidates likely to be considered to take over a team that has the longest-running playoff drought in the league at 10 years. Saunders himself could also take over, though owner Glen Taylor has said he prefers to keep Saunders in the front office. Saunders hinted Monday that a coach who has experience running the show is the preference. "Be demanding, hold players accountable, just like any good coach, everyone has the same formula what you are looking for," Saunders said. "We are more geared toward bringing someone who has a track record, whos had some success." Adelman said he had "a sour taste" with how this season finished, especially with a lacklustre effort in a season-ending home loss to the Jazz. Hes not sure what hes going to do with all his free time. Probably play a lot of golf, definitely spend Christmas at home with his family and just maybe -- "You never say never" -- listen to another coaching offer down the road. Adelman said a return is very unlikely, and it sounded believable when he was asked what it was going to feel like to wake up on Tuesday morning without the job to worry about. He smiled and his face brightened. "Its going to be good," he said. Jahlil Okafor Pelicans Jersey . -- LeGarrette Blount made one last big splash into a soggy end zone. Custom New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys . Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball, Eduardo Escobar homered, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away late to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Saturday. http://www.shoppelicansonline.com/Authen...elicans-Jersey/. Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year. New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys . Maria Silvia Bastos Marques, president of the EOM (Municipal Olympic Company), will be leaving her post but will remain as an advisor, a city hall statement said Tuesday. ETwaun Moore Pelicans Jersey . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins. DAYTON, Ohio -- Dont get discouraged, coach Cuonzo Martin told his Volunteers during those long NCAA tournament timeouts. Instead, hang in there and figure a way to pull it out. They went about it a most improbable way. With forward Jarnell Stokes using his 280 pounds to dominate inside and a highly regarded defence finally locking in, Tennessee pulled off the first amazing comeback of the NCAA tournament. Stokes opened overtime with a three-point play that put Tennessee ahead to stay, and the Volunteers defence shut down Iowa in overtime for a 78-65 victory on Wednesday night, finishing off the First Four with an exclamation point. "I told our guys weve been through everything this season, keep your composure down the stretch," said Martin, who got his first NCAA tournament win in his third season at Tennessee. "Find ways to win the ball game." The Vols (22-12) head to Raleigh, N.C., where theyll play sixth-seeded Massachusetts on Friday in the Midwest Regional. They left Dayton with a lot of momentum -- six wins in their last seven games. "We did a tremendous job toward the end of fighting back," said Jordan McRae, who had 20 points. "We did a great job on our defence. For us to hold them like we did was a great job." Tennessee didnt lead until Antonio Bartons 3-pointer put the Vols up 59-57 with 3:05 left regulation. There were five lead changes before McRae missed a jumper missed at the buzzer, leaving it tied at 64. No surprise that Barton made the big shot. The senior transfer is the only Volunteer with any significant NCAA tournament experience, having appeared in three of them with Memphis. Stokes three-point play in overtime was the key moment in his 18-point, 13-rebound performance, putting the Volunteers ahead to stay. It was his 20th double-double this season, the most by a Volunteer since Bernard King had 22 of them in 1976-77. Tennessees highly regarded defence took it from there, holding Iowa (21-13) to one free throw the rest of the way. The Hawkeyes missed all eight of their shots from the field in overtime. "You go tthrough anything so often -- being in those games, being in those situations -- were a much better team the last eight games," Martin said.dddddddddddd "Guys stepped up and made plays." It was a tough ending to a long and stressful day for Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. He started the day in Iowa with his teenage son, Patrick, who had surgery to remove a thyroid tumour. His assistant coaches led the Hawkeyes through a meeting and their final practice, and McCaffery was back by game time. Martin and the Volunteers hugged him after the game and wished him well. "Their players hugged me and told me they were thinking of me," McCaffery said. "I was really impressed with their guys and the program Cuonzo has built there." Adam Woodbury had 16 points for Iowa, which got a subpar performance from its leading scorer. Roy Devyn Marble was only 3 of 15 from the field for seven points, matching his season low. "I dont think we ran out of gas," Woodbury said. "We made some key mistakes down the stretch and that hurt us." The ending will sting the Hawkeyes for a long time. They were struggling as they headed into their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2006, losing six of their previous seven games. Defence was the biggest problem, often letting them down in the second half. They opened the game in promising fashion, switching from man-to-man to zone to half-court traps. It worked. They got off to a 16-4 lead and were still ahead 29-26 at halftime. They kept swatting away the Volunteers runs until the last few minutes of regulation. Marbles basket tied it at 64, and he was guarding McCrae when he missed his fade-away shot at the buzzer sending it to overtime. Tennessee got an at-large bid by closing the season with a defensive flourish. The Volunteers won five straight before losing to No. 1 Florida 56-49 in the Southeastern Conference tournament. They gave up 61.1 points per game, second only to Florida in the SEC, and allowed an average of only 47.4 points in the last four games. In overtime, that defence decided it. ' ' '