Nate McMillan
Nate McMillan
Nathaniel "Nate" McMillanis an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. He coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 2000 to 2005, and the Portland Trail Blazers from 2005 to 2012...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth3 August 1964
CityRaleigh, NC
finishing fourth games growing process quarter
Finishing games in the fourth quarter is something we have got to learn. It's part of a growing process for a young team.
boys came coach credit hill played ready team testament
I want to give coach Hill credit for having his boys ready to play. With all their suspensions and injuries, that team came out and played really hard. That's a testament to coach Hill.
ball break causing clock encouraged execution fourth games improvement movement quarter respond seemed settle shot stretch tends tonight traps
We're encouraged by the improvement but our execution down the stretch of these games tends to break down. Our spacing was poor. We didn't respond well to traps and our ball movement slowed, causing way too many shot clock violations. Tonight in the fourth quarter we seemed to settle for a perimeter game.
drop game heads respond saw took wind
Those were two big three's. I thought that took the wind out of our sails. We couldn't respond and I saw heads drop as if the game was over.
drop game heads respond saw took wind
Those were two big 3s. I thought that took the wind out of our sails. We couldn't respond and I saw heads drop as if the game was over.
aggressive beat defense finish good needed number played playing plays sharp steal team work
We were aggressive and made them work for the most part. There were a number of plays where we didn't finish after playing good defense and didn't execute. But it wasn't just one play like Devin Harris' steal and bucket. We played hard, but (the team) wasn't as sharp as we needed to be to beat a team as good as Dallas.
Defensively, I just thought that we weren't aggressive. We want to get up into our man's chest.
early fought looked ourselves quicker
I thought we looked a little fatigued early in the first half. I thought we scrapped and fought to keep ourselves in the game, but early, they were just quicker to the ball.
dropped locker shots
I thought those were the shots that we dropped our heads. That's the first thing I said in the locker room, that those were two big threes.
work
I thought we were aggressive. We made them work for the most part.
defensive game given good knew looked plays possibly saw stretch win
I saw us get tight. We looked like we knew we had possibly given this game away. But we made plays down the stretch to win it -- two good defensive stops, which was the difference.
When they got hot, I thought we tightened up a bit.
air bit heads knock late lost minute took
We lost our heads a little bit late in the ballgame. We're right there with two minute to go, then they knock down a three, and I think that really took the air out of us.
continue effort focus game happy hard playing win
If you're playing the game the right way, you play hard and you play together. And I think if you continue to do that you'll win some games. So yes, I am happy with the effort and the focus and the togetherness that we're seeing.