It took the Atlanta Hawks 3 years to rebuild its team as a true contender. They certainly took their hits as a team from having one of the worst records ever and firing Coach Lloyd Pierce. However, things started to turn around for them once Nate McMillan took over as head interim coach. Here are the highlights:

• Wednesday night, the Hawks were in rare form. They clinched their first playoff berth since 2017 against the Washington Wizards in a 120-116 victory.
• McMillan said he was just doing his job and as he wanted “to try to help this team get to the next level.”
• The Hawks had a record of 14-20 when Pierce was fired on March 1st, which was just before the All-Star Game in Atlanta.
• Since McMillan took the reigns, Atlanta has gotten over the hump and has set their record to 25-11. 
• Trae Young, the face of the Hawks franchise said they had it in them all along but they just needed to believe in their ability.
• It took a while for the Hawks to mesh well together. However, McMillan’s 16 years of experience and coaching three different teams helped him really start to understand the Hawks once he joined the staff.
• McMillan is especially proud of how the Hawks are playing a full game and actually finishing stronger each time they step on the court against their competitors.
• While Young believes he and his teammates haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve, he’s confident that they’ll get it the more they win their games.