Philadelphia 76ers have decided to fire Head Coach Doc Rivers after losing in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Boston Celtics. The 76ers were leading the series 3-2 but failed to capitalise on the lead and lost two consecutive games before being eliminated from the playoffs.
This was Doc Rivers' third straight elimination in the Conference Semifinals with Philadelphia and fourth straight exit including his Playoff second-round loss with the Los Angeles Clippers. The development was first reported by NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweeted, " BREAKING: The 76ers dismissed coach Doc Rivers on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN. Rivers led the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in each of his three seasons on the job."
Check out the tweet here:
Addressing this development, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey released a statement talking about how Rivers have been one of best coaches in the world. But after reflecting on the season, the team has decided to part ways with him.
Morey said, "Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely. We're grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship."
Further reports say the Philadelphia 76ers are several recently fired coaches as replacements. The Sixers have shortlisted names like Mike Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, Mike D'Antoni, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel and Monty Williams as possible replacements.