Sixers fire coach Doc Rivers after three seasons and three second-round exits

Doc Rivers has been fired as coach of the 76ers, the team announced Tuesday.

Rivers was dismissed following the Sixers’ disastrous 112-88 loss at the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He went 154-82 in three regular seasons with the organization but, like predecessor Brett Brown, failed to get the team past the playoffs’ second round.

”No one is safe in our business, and I get that,” Rivers said following Sunday’s season-ending loss, but added he planned to coach the team in 2023-24. He had two more years on the contract he signed when he was hired before the 2020-21 season.

Under Rivers’ watch, Joel Embiid continued his ascent to become the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season. He led the league in scoring, at 33.1 points per game, for the second consecutive season on a career-high 54.8% shooting, while also averaging 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. Rivers helped put Embiid in positions on the floor — most notably the elbow (where the free-throw line meets the vertical lane line) and nail at the middle of the free throw line — to keep expanding his game as a playmaker and scorer who blends power and skill.

» READ MORE: Sorry, Doc. Sixers need a change of direction after Game 7 meltdown.

As a team, the Sixers this season posted their highest win total (54) since 2000-01, when they advanced to the NBA Finals. This season, they ranked third in the league in offensive efficiency (117 points per 100 possessions), eighth in defensive efficiency (112.7 points allowed per 100 possessions), and first in net rating in “clutch” time (plus-16.6), or when a scoring margin is within five or fewer points with five or less minutes remaining.

The Sixers also had the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record during the condensed 2020-21 regular season (49-23), improved their win total in each of the next two seasons, and became one of the league’s best road teams after previous struggles away from home.

“Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in a news release. “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.”

Rivers also helped the Sixers navigate the tumultuous Ben Simmons saga and the acquisition of perennial All-Star James Harden, who was asked to tweak his style to become more of a facilitator while playing alongside Embiid. When asked about his relationship with Rivers following Sunday’s Game 7 loss, Harden characterized it as “OK.” Embiid gave a much more enthusiastic endorsement during a news conference a few minutes later, saying Rivers has “done a fantastic job.”

”We’ve gotten better over the years,” he added. " … I don’t make the decisions, and I think he should be fine. We’ve got a great relationship. … He’s been a great leader for all of us, a great motivator.”

Rivers has been one of the NBA’s most recognizable and successful coaches for more than two decades, being honored as one of the top 15 coaches in league history during its 75th anniversary celebration. He won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, before guiding a once-embarrassing Los Angeles Clippers franchise to six playoff appearances in seven seasons. The former All-Star point guard began his coaching career with the Orlando Magic in 1999-2000, where he was named Coach of the Year in his first season and took that team to three playoff berths in five seasons.

Yet Rivers has also become known for playoff failures, particularly in close-out games. He is now 17-33 in such situations, and 6-10 in Game 7s, after the Sixers surrendered their 3-2 series lead to Boston.

Rivers has also been under scrutiny from outsiders for much of his tenure in Philly, at least partially due to his sometimes defensive nature when interacting with media about his decision-making. Questions swirled about his job status when the Sixers lost to the Miami Heat in last year’s second round, before Morey committed to keeping Rivers the day after they lost that series.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid, James Harden choke in a gutless showing in Boston. ‘The Process’ fails again.

There are some prominent candidates on the market to replace Rivers.

Monty Williams, who was fired by the Phoenix Suns last weekend following their second-round loss to the Denver Nuggets, was instrumental in transforming a franchise that had missed the playoffs 10 consecutive seasons into the Western Conference’s 2021 NBA Finals participant. The 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year spent the 2019-20 season as a Sixers assistant, and has a strong relationship with Embiid.

Mike Budenholzer was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks following their stunning first-round playoff loss to the Heat, but he guided that team anchored by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to its first championship in 50 years in 2021. Nick Nurse coached the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 title, when they beat the Sixers in the second round on Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce shot, but was fired after his team lost in the play-in tournament this season. They each were named coach of the year in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

“Don’t win Coach of the Year,” Rivers joked before Sunday’s Game 7 when asked about high-profile coaches being let go.

There are also options already familiar with the most recent Sixers roster. Sam Cassell, who has been an assistant under Rivers, has also interviewed for a collection of head-coaching jobs in recent seasons. Dave Joerger, the former head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings, has also been on Rivers’ staff.

ESPN reported Tuesday that Mike D’Antoni and Frank Vogel are also expected to be among the Sixers’ candidates. D’Antoni was the Houston Rockets’ coach under Morey, and helped Harden morph into a three-time scoring champion and 2018 MVP. Vogel guided the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 championship but was fired following last season.