Pierce returns home for birth of child; McMillan takes over in meantime

Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce is flying home to Atlanta on Tuesday for the birth of his second child, which is expected in the next few days, the AJC confirmed.

In his absence, assistant coach Nate McMillan, a previous head coach of the Pacers who joined the Hawks’ staff in the offseason, will take over head coaching duties. The Hawks are in the middle of a road trip, and Pierce likely will miss Wednesday’s and Friday’s games in Boston.

It’s expected that Pierce will be back for Sunday’s home game against Denver.