NEW YORK - Don Chaney and his two top assistant coaches were fired by the New York Knicks, and Lenny Wilkens was hired as the team's new head coach Wednesday.

''I think he's a perfect fit,'' team president Isiah Thomas said at a news conference at Madison Square Garden.

Wilkens is the NBA leader in career coaching victories.

Assistant Herb Williams was to coach the Knicks on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. The Knicks are 15-24.

Assistants Brendan Malone and Lon Kruger were fired along with Chaney.

The changes came on a bizarre day, even by the Knicks' standards. Chaney put the team through its morning shootaround after reading in a newspaper that he would be replaced by former NBA coach and current TV analyst Mike Fratello.

Fratello later released a statement saying he had no agreement ''in place,'' and then came the news of Wilkens' hiring.

BRYANT OUT THREE WEEKS

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Kobe Bryant was placed on the injured list Wednesday and is expected to miss up to three weeks with a sprained right shoulder.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Bryant won't need surgery.

Bryant was injured in a collision with Cleveland's Kedrick Brown on Monday night.

The NBA's seventh-leading scorer with a 22.0-point average, Bryant was injured late in the first quarter of an 89-79 victory over Cleveland when he faked Brown into the air outside the 3-point line and Brown landed on Bryant's shoulder.