ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder sat out Tuesday night's 127-121 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks with an illness, forcing assistant Igor Kokoskov to serve as acting coach.
Snyder was with the team for pregame functions, including his regular media availability. His absence with flu-like symptoms was a surprise to his players.
“None of us knew until right before tipoff,” point guard Trae Young said. “He was here early. It kind of surprised us but we still had a game to go play. It sucks we couldn't get him the win.”
Young led the Hawks with 28 points and 13 assists.
The Hawks don't have a designated top assistant but Kokoskov, a native of Serbia who has coached in the NBA for 19 years, was the choice to fill in.
“I think the game plan is the same,” forward Mouhamed Gueye said. “It's just a different person.”
Kokoskov joined Snyder's staff in Atlanta in 2023 after previous stints as an assistant with Brooklyn, Dallas, Sacramento, Phoenix, Utah, Cleveland, Detroit and the Los Angeles Clippers.
When hired by the Clippers in 2000, Kokoskov became the first non-American to be hired as a full-time assistant. He spent one season as a head coach, going 19-63 with Phoenix in 2018-19 and getting fired afterward.
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Charles Odum, The Associated Press
