Doc Rivers reflects on time in Philadelphia, Sixers’ Game 6 and Game 7 losses to the Boston Celtics in playoffs last season

Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks were in South Philadelphia yesterday, as his new team destroyed the Embiid-less Sixers 119-98.

Also included in an embarrassing performance against the Milwaukee Bucks was Doc Rivers reflecting on his time in Philadelphia. Rivers touched on a variety of topics, but the one getting the most play today on social media is his comments on the 76ers’ second-round loss to the Boston Celtics in the playoffs last season.

Doc Rivers on Philadelphia 76ers playoff loss to the Boston Celtics last season

Doc Rivers speaks on reflecting on the loss to the Celtics last season #Sixers pic.twitter.com/HkMQBAueWn

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) February 25, 2024

“Listen, that’s up for you guys. I believe in what I do. I’ll put it that way. Going into the series last year, if I had to ask you guys to have a show of hands, who picked the Sixers? That’s the point. Yet, we had them down 3-2 and had a chance. The game we should’ve won was Game 6. Game 7s are tough everywhere, but we did something to get there, and I just told you how close we were, and I look back on that and think Joel wasn’t 100% last year. Things happen and you just live with them.” [USA Today]

I’m not really sure what Doc Rivers is attempting to say here but I know for sure he’s not accepting any accountability for the 76ers failing to advance out of the second round of the playoffs. In true Doc fashion, he went the “blame game” route while ignoring the fact that he is one of the worst coaches in NBA history in the playoffs. Go figure.

Game 6 against the Celtics is something I’d rather not re-visit.

You can easily blame the guards in Maxey, Harden, and really, De’Anthony Melton for not getting the ball to Joel Embiid enough in the final 5 minutes of the game and at the same time, you can say that Embiid should have been demanding the basketball and speculate how bad his knee injury was effecting his play. 

Either way, I’m not really interested in hearing from Doc Rivers on any of it. 

Rivers also touched on how he should be perceived by fans during his time as the head coach of the Sixers which if the Milwaukee Bucks pregame introduction indicated anything, it looks like he found his answer pretty quickly.

Sixers fans booed Doc Rivers during pregame introductions

Sixers fans booed Bucks head coach, and former Sixers head coach, Doc Rivers during pregame introductions. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/SGjcLMBVYL

— Dave Uram (@MrUram) February 25, 2024

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