Sixers coach Doc Rivers sends well-wishes to Tiger Woods after car crash

TAMPA, Fla. — The 76ers had just picked up a key road win over the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night, but that wasn’t on Doc Rivers’ mind.

The coach wanted to first address the media about Tiger Woods before answering questions about the Sixers’ 109-102 decision at Amalie Arena.

Woods, one of the all-time golf greats, is lucky to be alive and facing a difficult recovery after crashing an SUV in a single-vehicle accident Tuesday in a Los Angeles suburb. He was driving alone.

Woods was rushed to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center with injuries to his right leg and ankle and underwent surgery. The hospital chief medical officer, Anish Mahajan, told reporters that Woods shattered his tibia and fibula bones in multiple locations. His bones were stabilized by a rod in the tibia. Woods also had pins and screws inserted to help repair his foot and ankle injuries.

“He means a lot to a lot of people for a lot more than just sports,” Rivers said in Tuesday’s postgame news conference. “I don’t know how many bullets this guy can take. But he’s a tough kid, always has been. I just want to send that out.”

This was the latest setback for one of the world’s most recognizable sports figures.

On the golf course, the 45-year-old Woods has 15 major championships and a record-tying 82 PGA Tour victories. However, he’s had nine previous surgeries that have taken away some of his ability. But he’s been able to overcome numerous obstacles to remain one of the biggest draws in his sport.

One of the most notable accomplishments was winning his fifth Masters title in April 2019, after having four back surgeries that kept him out of golf for parts of two years.

» READ MORE: Sixers still struggling to win often on the road, but they’re better at it than last season

The Sixers will face Josh Richardson for the first time since trading him last offseason.

The Sixers also sent the 36th overall pick in the 2020 draft to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Seth Curry on Nov. 18, 2020. The Mavs used that pick to select Tyler Bey.

Richardson is averaging 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as Dallas’s starting shooting guard. He was sidelined for nine games in January due to testing positive for COVID-19 and the league’s health and safety protocols.

Richardson spent last season with the Sixers after being acquired from the Miami Heat in exchange for Jimmy Butler.

The Mavs (15-15) are riding a two-game winning streak and feature one of the league’s top players in two-time All-Star point guard Luka Dončić. The Sixers boast the Eastern Conference’s best record, 21-11.

» READ MORE: Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz needs to earn his minutes. Tuesday vs. the Raptors was a good start.