On May 16, the Philadelphia 76ers unloaded their head coach of three years. Nearly eight months after parting ways, Doc Rivers was back in the building he had called home for the last three years. The firing happened immediately after the 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals, marking the third straight year they failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs. As one would expect, the Philly crowd was unforgiving. Rivers was welcomed with a resounding chorus of boos during pregame introductions, which he conveniently chose to ignore. “I didn’t even hear it, to be honest,” said Rivers after his new team, the Milwaukee Bucks, silenced the crowd with their electric performance.

While Rivers went 154-82 as Philadelphia’s coach, he failed to achieve any tangible success with the organization. Before losing to the Celtics, they lost in seven games to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021 and in six games to the Miami Heat in 2022. The fans’ disappointment was evidence enough that they blamed the coach for the early postseason exits. But Doc Rivers points fingers at Joel Embiid and James Harden.

Are Joel Embiid and James Harden responsible for last season’s failure?

According to him, the Game 7 loss last season was because Joel Embiid and James Harden, two of the best players on the team, were struggling during the series. Embiid, battling with a sprained knee ligament, contributed just 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting while missing all four of his three-point attempts. Harden, on the other hand, had more air balls (3) than baskets (2) in the first half. He finished the game with nine points, seven assists, and six rebounds, only making one of his five attempted three-pointers.

This trend persisted throughout the series. In Game 6, Embiid scored only six of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and had only two shot attempts in the final five minutes. To make matters worse, Harden went scoreless in the fourth quarters of Games 5, 6, and 7, shooting a combined 0-for-6 in the series loss. Expressing regret over the missed opportunity, Rivers said, “I wish I could have had a chance to have Joel healthy in the playoffs.”

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While he missed his chance with the 76ers, Rivers now has the opportunity to start anew with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, things are not looking positive for the Bucks right now, as they have gone 5-7 since he took over. While the Bucks did manage to sweep the Sixers in a 119-98 blowout win, the hosts were notably without their main man, Joel Embiid, who missed his 11th straight game after undergoing knee surgery earlier this month. Do you think Rivers can lead the Bucks to their second title this season? Let us know in the comments!

76ers Star Claims Doc Rivers Is “More Worried” About Him Ahead of Blockbuster Bucks Clash