NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

July 3, 2021

Nate McMillan

Atlanta Hawks

Game 6: Postgame

Milwaukee Bucks 118, Atlanta Hawks 107

Q. What can you say about the guys getting back in this game and just kind of fighting back, and does that sort of resemble what the team has done this season?

NATE McMILLAN: It's just a resilient group. They've been doing this all season long. I want to thank the organization - you know, Tony [Ressler], Jami [Gertz], and Travis [Schlenk] -- for the opportunity to work with this group. They've been a great group all season long. It was a huge challenge for them once Coach [Lloyd] Pierce was let go. I challenged those guys to be better, to do better, to sacrifice, to commit to each other, and they did.

It just shows that, when you get a group of guys that's working together for the same common goal -- they have talent, every NBA team has talent -- you can win games. What they did this season luck wasn't involved; it was hard work. It was sacrificing. It was committing to each other. It was trusting each other, and the effort was there every single night.

They played themselves into the Eastern Conference Finals with a chance to go to the Finals. Milwaukee is a really good team. They're a really good team. I know they were missing Giannis, but that team was on a mission. They've been on a mission for the last couple years. Every time we tried to make a run tonight, they answered.

Bud and his crew really just did a solid job in this series.

Q. What did you say to the guys after this game?

NATE McMILLAN: I thanked them. I thanked them for committing. I thanked them for sacrificing. I thanked them for trusting and believing because none of this would have happened if we didn't do all of those things, and they did. They sacrificed. They committed. They believed.

And what we were trying to do here, the changes we were trying to make, taking that next step, committing to each other, playing the game the right way, playing the game together -- and all of those guys did that. We had a ton of injuries this season, and guys like Solomon [Hill] and Tony Snell, Brandon [Goodwin], they all stepped in when they got their opportunity and made the most of it.

Then you have Clint and Kevin and Bogey, you know, Cam comes back from an injury and gives us a lift. Trae, I've seen a lot of growth in this team in Trae leading this team. As I tell him, this wasn't a fluke. This wasn't luck. He's built for this time of the season, and he did a hell of a job leading this team here.

Q. Is this the start of something special after this kind of run?

NATE McMILLAN: I told them that. It certainly could be. They've gotten a taste of what it takes to get here. It's hard. It's hard. They committed to working hard and basically approached it one game at a time. They beat some really good teams, New York and Philadelphia, to get here.

Yeah, this could be the start of something that is consistent. I know the organization -- you know, Tony just talked about his commitment to this team and this organization to continue to win. They want to win here. He wants to build a winner. He's willing to do whatever it takes. That was his message to the team.

I have a great deal of respect for these guys and their approach to this season, and my coaching staff. It doesn't happen if this coaching staff doesn't do the job that they did for me to take over a team midseason and for this team to have the turnaround that it did. A lot of things had to fall in place and work for us, and the coaching staff did a great job of helping me adjust and adapt, keeping these guys mentally, physically ready to go.

We all challenged ourselves and each other to have a successful season, so I want to give thanks to those guys as well.

Q. Obviously, Trae missed the last couple games, came back today, fighting the foot but trying to play through it. What did you see in his performance?

NATE McMILLAN: I saw a guy, the message was no regrets. We don't want no regrets after this game tonight, and we leave everything we have out on the floor, and that's what I saw from Trae. The fact that he hasn't done anything on the floor since the injury, this was the first time that he has done anything live on the floor, so he was gassed. He was breathing hard. Cam was the same way. Both of those guys tonight left everything they had out on the floor.

And as a group, I thought we did. That was the message. No regrets at the end of this game. Empty your tank. I thought this group, they did.

Q. You mentioned the talk from the locker room about the vision for this team going forward, things you guys can do. With that interim tag still on your title, do you want to lead this group going forward?

NATE McMILLAN: We're going to talk. Of course, we're going to talk. I'm going to talk with this organization. I appreciate them giving me the opportunity and thankful that they had the trust to put me in charge of running this organization. So we will have a conversation here pretty soon.

Q. Was it a given that Trae was going to try to go tonight? And from your view, what couldn't he do because of the injury?

NATE McMILLAN: No, it wasn't a given. This morning he didn't do anything on the floor. We had a walk-through. He was getting treatment. He was watching from the sidelines and watching the game plan. So he really hasn't done -- he didn't do anything except for the test that they put him through before the game. They put him through some tests before the Milwaukee game, and that test consists of some movement, seeing if he can jump off of it, seeing what type of pain tolerance he has to go through. He did that again tonight.

So, again, about 40 minutes before the game, our trainer came up and said that Trae is going to go.

Q. Is he like -- not only was he not explosive a couple times, but he sort of hesitated and led to turnovers. Was it clear to you that he wasn't going to be the Trae Young he always was?

NATE McMILLAN: Well, we knew he had the injury, so of course, he wasn't going to be the guy that we are used to seeing out there, but you have to take a lot of things into consideration. The first thing is he's not going to injure himself any more by going out there and playing. That's going to be the first thing that they talk about, and if he feels that he can help this team, then we'll let him play, and he felt that he could. He wanted to give it a try.

I saw some times where he was grimacing, but the effort that he gave us, I thought it was more than -- it's really more than I expected.

Q. You said you and Tony are going to talk about the future. Should we not just assume that you want to come back?

NATE McMILLAN: We will talk. This was the conversation when I took over was that you got the team for the year. A lot of good things have happened. We'll talk at the end of the season. So, the end of the season is here, so I'm sure we will have a conversation. But I've enjoyed working with this group. I've enjoyed working with this organization. I'm sure we'll have a conversation here soon.

Q. Another question about Trae but kind of in a different direction: Just overall, I know he kind of got injured late, but how do you see him handling his first playoff run and the maturity as kind of the leader of this team?

NATE McMILLAN: I think he's built for this time of the season. You need a player that can create and put the ball in the basket, but create opportunities for his teammates, that has that confidence that he has shown out on the floor. He's fearless. He doesn't back down from anyone or any type of challenge. Teams have put bigger, physical players on him. Teams have double-teamed him. They've knocked him down. They've done a lot of things that you do to good players like that.

This kid continues to take that and find ways to be productive. I've seen a lot of good players and great players in this league, and I think he has that potential. I really do think he has that potential. He gives everything he has when he's out there on the floor. This guy is committed to winning. He's committed to this team. He has a talent, a special talent that you need in order to have success this time of the year.

Q. You only coached Cam for a few games. What do you think about him moving forward?

NATE McMILLAN: I just think it's a young team with a lot of talent. You think about Trae and you think about John and you think about De’Andre [Hunter], you think about Cam, that core is a good group. The fact that I only coached Cam for three games and trying to figure out how to use him. Tonight he got hot and created some options for him.

I really took to Cam when I first got here. He was a kid that I talked to early and was really wanting to coach him. I think he has a lot of -- I see a lot of Paul George in Cam, his length, his ability to defend. Working on his offensive game, tonight he shot the ball well, shooting the three, as well as putting the ball on the floor getting to the basket. Kind of the makeup is really similar. He showed that he has a lot of potential. So that's a talented player.

Q. After how last season ended for you, what has this run meant for you to start here as an assistant and now finish the season like this. What does it mean to you?

NATE McMILLAN: It's truly a blessing. A lot of my family members and friends and my pastor, you talk about when one door closes, another door opens. I didn't expect this to happen, but it did. It's just a blessing. It really was a blessing. I really didn't look back on what had happened last season. My focus was on, once I got this opportunity, to come down and try to help first Coach Pierce, and then when the opportunity presented itself for me to coach this team, to try to make it better.

That was just the focus this entire season, trying to make it better here for this organization. It really was a blessing. I thank God for all the opportunities and the blessings that have been provided to me this year.

Q. I'm sure it's probably hard to rein in all of the emotions right now and think about the whole scope of the season, but what has this group in particular really taught you, and what do you take away as a coach from this group?

NATE McMILLAN: They've shown a lot of growth, and they certainly have improved over the season. They are a resilient group. They are a group that committed and sacrificed and connected throughout this season. I never had to question their effort this season. There was a challenge to them as well as this staff that we needed to be better, and they accepted this challenge, and they were better. They continued to improve.

They did some things that surprised a lot of people. We talked about shocking the NBA. I think this group this year, they did shock the NBA with their sacrificing and their commitment to each other, the trust that they showed, the work that they put in to get to this point.

Q. I know you talked a lot about the growth of the players, but coming from a personal aspect, have you grown at all during this playoff run? And what have you learned about yourself? Have you reinforced anything about yourself?

NATE McMILLAN: Yes, I've become a lot more patient than I've been. I've had a few friends and a few people to say old school Nate would have done this or done that or would have responded or reacted in this way. I've been patient. I've grown for myself tremendously with this group. And I say that because I've allowed these guys to be themselves. Sometimes you try to create a culture, and it's kind of your way or the highway.

This season it was more adapting to the players and how they learn and different ways to keep them motivated and lifted. So I've become a lot more patient with players, with the game, with myself. I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it this season.