Pacers Coach Nate McMillan Fired After Losing First-Round Sweep to Miami
The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday that head coach Nate McMillan has been "relieved of his coaching duties."
This announcement comes two days after getting swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
"On behalf of the Simon family and the Pacers organization, I'd like to thank Nate for his years with the team," Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said. "This was a very hard decision for us to make; but we feel it's in the best interest of the organization to move in a different direction. Nate and I have been through the good times and bad times; and it was an honor to work with him for those 11 years (in Indiana and Portland)."
McMillan has been the head coach of the Pacers since 2016, and he led them to an overall record of 183-136, which ranks him third for most wins in Pacers coaching history.
But, McMillan had just a 3-16 record in the playoffs.
According to the Pacers, the search for a new coach will begin immediately.
Rumors have already begun swirling that Mike D'Antoni, the current coach of the Houston Rockets, will be a target for Indiana.
In player news, All-Star guard Victor Oladipo also doesn't know what the future will hold for him. He will be a free agent after next season, and when asked about his future, he said his focus right now is just to get his knee healthy.
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