Tonight, the Hawks are at home and on the back of a four-win streak with Nate McMillan, their granite-hewn new coach, a man who has lived through several years of working for Larry Bird in Indianapolis and knows a thing or two about beating the post-LeBron Cavs. The last time McMillan coached a team against J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavs were led by the enigmatic Andre Drummond, Kevin Love played 37 minutes, McMillan took a blowtorch named T.J. Warren to Cleveland, and his Pacers came away with a win.
Tonight, the Cavs are coming off of a horrific return to work after the All Star Break, having shot a load of bricks against Stan Van Gundy’s motivated crew in the humid air of the Mississippi delta.