The Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday fired coach Nate McMillan, who was unable to follow up on the success of leading the team to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals.

Atlanta general manager Landry Fields announcing the firing. The Hawks are 29-30 and in eighth place in the East this season.

Assistant coach Joe Prunty will serve as interim coach. Prunty joined the Hawks in July 2021 as lead assistant.

The 58-year-old McMillan went 99-80 as Atlanta’s coach, including a 27-11 record as interim in the second half of the 2020-21 season. His success that season earned him the full-time position.

McMillan was frustrated in his attempts to improve Atlanta’s defense, a consistent weakness that weighed down a team led by high-scoring guard Trae Young.

McMillan denied reports early this season that he considered resigning.

Overall in 19 seasons, McMillan has a 760-668 record with the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers and Hawks.

“I would like to thank Nate for his leadership and professionalism during his time with the Hawks,” Fields said in a statement. “He is truly a class act, and we appreciate the graciousness and work ethic he brought with him every day.”

The Hawks finished 43-39 in the 2021-22 season and, after escaping the play-in tournament, lost to the Miami Heat 4-1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Atlanta then added more emphasis to a win-now approach by trading Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for All-Star guard Dejounte Murray.

The trade formed a backcourt pairing of All-Star guards in Murray and Young and placed more heat on McMillan to guide the Hawks back to the top of the conference.

Instead, the Hawks have struggled near .500 most of the season. They lost four of six games before the All-Star break and are only one game ahead of 10th-place Toronto in the East. The slide left Atlanta closer to falling out of the play-in tournament than moving into the No. 6 spot for a guaranteed playoff position.

Bulls sign Beverley, Ball out for season

The Chicago Bulls signed veteran point guard Patrick Beverley and ruled point guard Lonzo Ball out for the season because of lingering discomfort in his surgically repaired left knee.

The Bulls brought in Beverley to help solidify a position that has been a sore spot all season with Ball recovering from his second left knee surgery in less than a year and his third since entering the NBA in 2017 with the Lakers. The team said Ball’s focus now will be on resolving the discomfort he feels performing “high level basketball-related activities” and making “a full return” for next season.

Beverley, a Chicago product, is a three-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection. He has averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists over 11 seasons with the Rockets, Clippers, Timberwolves and Lakers. He averaged 6.4 points in 45 games for the Lakers this season before getting dealt to Orlando, which waived him.

Nets give head coach Vaughn an extension

Jacque Vaughn, who has coached the Brooklyn Nets into playoff position despite the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during another turbulent season for the franchise, has agreed to a contract extension.

Vaughn replaced Steve Nash early in the season and the Nets announced Tuesday they were extending his deal. Terms were not disclosed, though general manager Sean Marks said the Nets looked forward to Vaughn leading the team “for years to come.”

The Nets (34-24) are fifth in the Eastern Conference and have gone 32-19 under Vaughn, the fifth-best record in the league.