Porter fired as coach of the Suns

PHOENIX (Reuters) - The Phoenix Suns have fired coach Terry Porter four months into his first season, with the club struggling to land a play-off berth in the talent-stocked Western Conference.

The Suns are 28-23 and one game behind the Utah Jazz in the fight for the eighth and final post-season spot.

"I hired Terry because I believed he would be able to provide the balance our team needed in order to perform at a very high level," Suns general manager Steve Kerr said in a statement Monday.

"Unfortunately the transition from last season to this one proved to be very difficult, and we have not played to our potential. It''s imperative that we move forward."

Alvin Gentry, a Suns assistant coach since 2004, will become the team''s interim head coach.

(Editing by Kevin Fylan)