Nate McMillan has the Atlanta Hawks soaring, and less than one season after being let go as coach of the Indiana Pacers. But McMillan is carrying the label of “interim” coach with the Hawks, and for now, he’s going to leave it at that.
“I won’t discuss any of that. My focus is on finishing the season here,” McMillan told reporters after Sunday’s win over the Pacers. “We’ve done some good things, but we still have a ways to go. So the focus is on finishing out the season.”
The Hawks (31-26) have climbed to fourth place in the Eastern Conference under McMillan. Meanwhile, the Pacers (26-30) have been fairly inconsistent and continue to fight for their playoff lives.
McMillan spent four seasons with the Pacers, leading them to the playoffs each time. They lost in the first round each time, too.
Today, McMillan is focused on his new team. He said he doesn’t really have time to keep track of the Pacers these days — unless that is the Hawks’ opponent.
“You can’t … you really focus on a lot of teams,” McMillan said of the Pacers. “You’re preparing for that next game.”
The Hawks return to action Tuesday, when they face the Orlando Magic.
