Sixers center Joel Embiid with Toronto Raptors Head Coach Nick Nurse after the Sixers won game six and the first-round Eastern Conference playoffs series on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Toronto. The Sixers beat the Raptors 132-97 and move on the meet the Miami Heat in the second round.
He fell ill, 76xers head coach, as soon as he received his sack letter.
Doc Rivers lost his coaching position with the Philadelphia 76ers due to his tendency for postseason collapses and second-round exits.
After losing a series lead and a Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs for the third time in a row, the 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday.
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Behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Rivers guided the 76ers to 50 wins in a row for the second campaign in a row, but he was unable to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. Since 1983, the Sixers have not taken home an NBA title.
“We appreciate everything he did throughout his three seasons here and express gratitude for the significant contribution he made to our squad,” a statement from team president Daryl Morey said. “We determined that some changes are required to further our goals of competing for a championship after having time to reflect on our season.”
Morey was supposed to speak about the choice on Wednesday during a press conference.
The 76ers led the Boston team in the semifinals of the NBA series 3-2 before losing Game 6 at home and losing badly in Game 7 away.
Rivers lost the seventh game 6-10. Five more than any other NBA coach, the 10 losses are all losses.
Additionally, Rivers and the 76ers fell to Atlanta in a crushing Game 7 at home in the second round.
2021 with the top seed. After Sunday’s loss, Embiid supported Rivers’ comeback, while James Harden remained ambiguous about his desire for their coach to return.
Rivers went 154-82 in his three seasons with the Sixers and has two years remaining on his deal. As the Boston Celtics’ coach, he was the team’s 2008 NBA champion.
After Boston’s 112-88 thrashing, when asked if he thought he would return the next year, Rivers replied, “Yes.” It looks like I have two years left. I understand that no one is safe in our company.
The 76ers will undoubtedly have their choice of the top players in the league when he becomes the latest well-known coach to be dismissed during the postseason. Mike Budenholzer of Milwaukee and Nick Nurse of Toronto have both lost their jobs.
Former Sixers assistant Monty Williams, who coached Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals, is also available after both teams had won titles since 2019.
Before the 2020–21 season, Rivers succeeded Brett Brown, who was let go following the 76ers’ crushing defeat in the opening round of the playoffs.
About two weeks prior, after the Los Angeles Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead and fell to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, Rivers had been dismissed.
