Doc Rivers Fired by the Philadelphia 76ers

Doc Rivers, one of the most experienced head coaches in the NBA, had two years left on his contract with the organization. That said, a third successive elimination in the second round of the playoffs appears to be what sealed his fate.

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Doc Rivers Gone, More 76ers Disappointment

The past few days have been a whirlwind for Rivers, the 76ers players, and the club’s fanbase. Philly hosted Game 6 of its second-round series versus the Boston Celtics last week. The team earned its way to a 71-66 late third-quarter lead and looked to put the sword to its historical rival and finally return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. Calamity struck when Boston stormed back in the final minutes to win 95-86.

Then in Game 7, the 76ers started strong, leading 29-23 after the opening 12 minutes. In fact, the game was tied 52-52 with seconds to go before halftime. A Jayson Tatum three cut the deadlock and that provided Boston all the momentum it needed. Philly was obliterated 33-10 in the third quarter, making the 26-24 final quarter inconsequential. The Celtics won 112-88 and the 76ers once again failed to make it out of round two. While Joel Embiid was vocally supportive of his coach in the post-game presser, James Harden was more noncommittal.

Philly was bounced out of the second round in 2022 by the Miami Heat in six games. Two years ago, as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, they fell to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games. That was the infamous final game for Ben Simmons as a member of the organization.

Ownership had seemingly seen enough, hence the reports emerging on Tuesday about Doc Rivers’ firing. The stats obsessed were quick to point out in the aftermath of the loss to Boston that it was Doc Rivers’ 10^th Game 7 defeat, twice as many as any NBA coach. Just as unnerving is his 6-16 record in the past 22 playoff contests when his clubs have a chance to eliminate the opposition.

Nurse, Budenholzer, Williams Fired

Suffice it to say that the 2023 offseasons for several teams have begun in brutal fashion.  

Look no further than the former leaders of the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, teams that met in the NBA Finals just two years ago. Both Mike Budenholzer and Monty Williams received their pink slips. As Raptors fans are well aware of so did Nick Nurse shortly before them.

Consider this for a moment. A team with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, another with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and a third with reigning MVP Joel Embiid are all hiring new head coaches. It sounds crazy, but this is the tenuous job security NBA head coaches are dealing with in modern times. Nurse and Budenholzer won a championship each within the past four seasons. Williams guided the Suns to a Finals appearance in 2021 and the number one seed in the West last year.

Clearly, from an ownership perspective, when lineups feature the aforementioned talent, first and second-round eliminations are inexcusable.