Rivers gets earful from 76ers fans, but Bucks get last word،
PHILADELPHIA – Doc Rivers wasn't sure what kind of reception he would receive when he returned to Philadelphia, eight months after the 76ers fired him as coach.
“Do they give big receptions to the coaches?” Rivers said before his new team, the Milwaukee Bucks, beat Philadelphia 119-98 on Sunday.
When a reporter told Rivers he was different, he acknowledged the validity of his statement, but noted he still hadn't given it much thought. However, the crowd in Philadelphia was ready, delivering a resounding chorus of boos when Rivers' name was announced before the tipoff.
“I didn’t even hear it, to be honest,” Rivers said with a smile after the game. “That means I was back home.”
Despite the frosty reception, Rivers had only positive takeaways from his tenure with the Sixers, which ended after three seasons. He went 154-82 as Philadelphia's coach, but lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals in all three seasons and was fired in May.
“I'm happy overall, I just wish we could have gone further,” Rivers said. “I wish we could have been lucky enough to have Joel [Embiid] healthy in the playoffs.
“But overall, Joel became MVP and we made this team a championship contender. That wasn't said the year before. And under a lot of things. Think about it, we had the exchange of James Harden, the Ben [Simmons] thing. Some were in my control, some were out of my control, but overall, for me, if you don't win a title, you're never truly happy. This is why we all do this. »
Once the ball was turned over, the Bucks dominated the Sixers, who were playing their 11th straight game without Embiid, who underwent knee surgery earlier this month.
Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined to score or assist on 82 of Milwaukee's 119 points. Brook Lopez added five blocks.
The Bucks scored 69 points in the first half, their most since Rivers took over late last month. They also limited the Sixers to 16 points in the final quarter. It was a second straight victory following the All-Star break for Milwaukee, which won at Minnesota on Friday night.
“Postponement, that has to be a key word for us,” said Antetokounmpo, who finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. “I feel like we're feeling like ourselves. Playing hard, moving the ball, defending better. We're just playing hard.”
Rivers was asked before the game about Philadelphia's Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in last year's conference semifinals, but he said he didn't spend much time looking into it. to reflect on.
“I'm going to put it [this] manner: Going into the series last year, who did the Sixers pick?” Rivers asked rhetorically. “That's the point. Still, we led them 3-2 and had a chance. The game we should have won was Game 6. Game 7s are tough everywhere. But we did something to make it happen.
“That shows you how close we were. I look back on it and think Joel wasn't 100 percent last year. Things happen and you live with them.”
The Bucks are now 5-7 under Rivers. And unlike Philadelphia fans, Antetokounmpo was ready to voice his support for his new coach.
“I love him,” Antetokounmpo said. “It's been incredible playing for him. He just explains to me what he expects from me. You respect him because he's been in the league for 25 years… you have to respect what he's done in the league, won a championship, won a lot of games, but when he goes into the locker room, he keeps it simple.”
