Hawks fire Lloyd Pierce as head coach

The Atlanta Hawks announced on Monday that they fired head coach Lloyd Pierce ahead of the upcoming NBA All-Star break. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added that the Hawks hope assistant Nate McMillan will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

McMillan recently filled in when Pierce was absent due to the birth of his second child in Atlanta and, per Wojnarowski, is strongly loyal to Pierce. 

The Hawks sit at 14-20 on the season and only play two more games before the NBA's scheduled winter break. Atlanta tallied an overall record of 63-120 (.344) under Pierce and missed the playoffs in both of his finished campaigns, although at least some of the club's woes are more so linked with a lack of talent and injury setbacks than with Pierce's coaching. 

"We would like to thank Lloyd for his work and commitment to not only the Hawks organization but the city of Atlanta," Hawks team president Travis Schlenk said in a prepared statement. "He and his wife, Melissa, are tremendous people who have made a positive impact throughout the city. 

"We have high expectations for our team on the court and we believe by making this change now that we can have a strong second half of the season."