The team announced later yesterday that former Charlotte Hornets coach Paul Silas will take over on an interim basis.

Owner Michael Jordan announced Brown’s departure in a news release a day after the Bobcats were outscored, 31-12, in the fourth quarter in their fourth straight loss.

The 70-year-old Brown had been upset with the makeup and effort of his team for weeks. The Bobcats (9-19) had lost three games by 31 or more points in 10 days before Tuesday’s fourth-quarter meltdown against Oklahoma City.

“I met with Coach Brown two weeks ago about the team’s performance and what we could do to improve it,’’ Jordan said. “We met again this morning after practice. The team has clearly not lived up to either of our expectations and we both agreed that a change was necessary.’’

Brown, a Hall of Fame coach who was in the third season of his 13th professional and college head coaching job and whose contract runs through the end of the 2011-12 season, didn’t immediately return a message on his cellphone seeking comment. But his agent, Joe Glass, said Brown will be back on the bench soon.

Brown leaves with an 88-108 mark with the Bobcats. His 1,327 victories in the ABA and NBA are nine shy of supplanting Don Nelson for the most all time.