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Suns fire head coach Earl Watson

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

Following a full season with no coaches ousted, the Phoenix Suns let go of their bench boss just five days into the campaign.

The team announced Sunday it fired head coach Earl Watson.

Team owner Robert Sarver and general manager Ryan McDonough reportedly met with the assistant coaches soon afterward, and chose Jay Triano to take over as interim head coach.

The Suns opened 2017-18 by dropping all three of their games by a league-worst average margin of defeat of 30.7 points, including a historic 48-point loss Wednesday to the Portland Trail Blazers. Their point differential of minus-92 through three contests is the worst in league history.

Watson, 38, was an assistant coach with the Suns in 2015-16 and was named interim head coach midway through the campaign, following Jeff Hornacek's firing. Watson was appointed head coach at season's end, and led the team to an overall record of 33-85 (.280).

The former NBA point guard is the first head coach to lose his job since May 7, 2016, when the Memphis Grizzlies parted ways with Dave Joerger.

Watson's departure could be the first domino to fall for Phoenix, with starting point guard Eric Bledsoe tweeting earlier in the day he doesn't "wanna be here."

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