Mavs' Johnson out after second straight early exit

Despite having three years left on a five-year deal he signed after Dallas' run to the 2006 NBA Finals, Johnson now finds himself unemployed after two straight exits in the first round of the playoffs.

"It is never easy to relieve a coach of his duties, especially one of Avery's caliber," said owner Mark Cuban. "He is a talented coach and I want to thank him for his efforts over the last four years and what he has done for this franchise. We wish him well in the future."

Dallas lost to New Orleans, 99-94, on Tuesday night, as the Hornets wrapped up a five-game victory over the Mavs in the Western Conference quarterfinals. The first-round defeat was the second straight for Dallas, which was eliminated by Golden State in the 2007 conference quarterfinals in one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history.

Johnson, a 16-year NBA veteran who spent most of his career in San Antonio, took over for Don Nelson with 18 games remaining in the 2004-2005 season and the team finished 16-2. The Mavericks reached the second round of the playoffs that year before falling to Phoenix.

"The Little General" guided the Mavs to a 60-22 record and their first NBA Finals appearance in 2005-06, earning Coach of the Year honors. Dallas jumped to a 2-0 lead in the Finals against Miami, and looked like it was on the verge of finally bringing outspoken owner Cuban his first championship.

It all went downhill from there, in terms of postseason success, as the Heat came back to win four straight and the NBA title. Cuban inked Johnson to a five-year extension that offseason, which was scheduled to keep him in Dallas through the 2010-2011 season.

The 2006-07 season included a franchise-best 67-15 record, but it ended with the eighth-seeded Warriors, coached by none other than Nelson, upending the top-seeded Mavs in six games, becoming the first No. 8 seed to win a seven- game series.

The wins dropped to 51 for Dallas this season, which featured a blockbuster trade of guard Devin Harris and others to the Nets for 35-year-old point guard Jason Kidd. The acquisition of Kidd did not produce any more playoff success, though, against the Hornets and MVP candidate point guard Chris Paul.