Nate McMillan hasn’t had the most pleasant of spells in the 2022-23 season.
While he was rumored to have had an ugly spat with marquee scorer Trae Young previously, the latest loss against Brooklyn Nets gave fans plenty to talk about after the heart-wrenching loss. This is just when the newest star Dejounte Murray rushed out to defend his Head Coach.
But to bring everyone on the same page, the Hawks were without Trae Young, Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter in this showdown.
Despite this, Nate McMillan’s team put in a worthy effort to beat a team which was filled with superstars like – Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry amongst others. Irving’s 15-point rally in the fourth quarter ensured that the Nets extend their winning streak to 10 and reach the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference at the expense of the Hawks.
There was one moment in the game where Dejounte Murray could’ve sealed an unprecedented win for his team. He had the ideal look for a deep three-pointer. Perhaps make a buzzer-beating game winner as the time clanked off the back of the rim. This is just why the reigning All-Star came out to defend his coach, taking accountability for the Hawks’ latest loss.
Dejounte Murray defends Nate McMillan
After the game, there was a fan in particular who decided to throw shade at McMillan for not taking the timeout when Hawks got the defensive rebound – to set up a perfect game-winner. On the same note, Dejounte came forward to admit that on a previous possession. If he would’ve knocked down both his free throws, the game would’ve gone to overtime.
The former San Antonio Spurs star wrote, “Dejounte Makes Both Free Throws And We Go To OT And Calling A Timeout Doesn’t Matter!!! That S*** On Me And Not On Nate SIMPLE AS THAT!!!!!!”
Perhaps this is just why Dejounte Murray has earned the respect from his new coach so quickly.
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