Could Sunday’s Game 7 loss to Boston be Doc Rivers’ last as Sixers’ coach?

Joel Embiid finally won an MVP under Rivers, but that might put even more pressure on ownership to take action after the disappointing result of this season's playoff exit.

Sixers coach Doc Rivers during Game 7 against the Boston Celtics.Read moreYong Kim / Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Keith Pompey

Published May 14, 2023, 10:03 p.m. ET

BOSTON — Is this all Doc Rivers’ fault?

Sometime soon, the 76ers coach will learn his fate with the team. Rivers, who just completed his third season in Philly, has two seasons left on the five-year, $40 million deal he signed October 2020, according to Spotrac.

But he is receiving a lot of the blame for the Sixers’ 112-88 Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday in the Eastern Conference semifinals at TD Garden. It marked the third consecutive season that Rivers’ squad has suffered a second-round postseason exit.

They lost in seven games in 2021 to the Atlanta Hawks before losing in six games last season to the Miami Heat.

But, on paper, this season’s team had a chance to compete for an NBA title. Yet the Sixers looked like a squad that quit in the second half Sunday. They appeared clueless and lacked effort and mental toughness.

Those things and an inability to get out of the second round were the reasons the Sixers fired Brett Brown as coach in August 2020.

Under Rivers, the Sixers clinched the 2021 Eastern Conference regular-season title. Their 54-28 record this season was their best mark since going 56-26 in 2000-01. And Joel Embiid’s game has improved each year under Rivers, leading to his becoming this season’s league MVP.

But the Sixers hired Rivers to get them at least beyond the second round. And that hasn’t happened.

Rivers said following the game that he’s planning to coach the Sixers next season.

“I think I got two years [on his contract],” he said, “so [yeah].”

However, coaches with more recent success have lost their jobs recently.

The Phoenix Suns fired Monty Williams on Saturday on the heels of a second-round loss to the Denver Nuggets. This comes one season after he was named the NBA coach of the year. Williams led the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Mike Budenholzer coached the Bucks to the 2021 title. It was Milwaukee’s first championship in 50 seasons.

This season, Budenholzer led the Bucks to a league-best 58-24 record. However, he was fired after they lost to the eighth-seeded Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

“No one is safe in our business and I get that,” Rivers said.

Embiid believes the Sixers have improved over the three seasons under Rivers.

“I thought he’s done a great job,” Embiid said. “I don’t make the decisions. And I think he should be fine. We got a great relationship.”

Embiid feels Rivers kept the team afloat while dealing with Ben Simmons refusing to play and wanting to be traded last season.

“He’s a great leader for all of us and a great motivator,” he said. “But then again, you see what’s happening all over the league; it’s tough. I’m glad I don’t make those decisions. I think all those guys deserve to have jobs.”

James Harden was noncommittal when asked about his relationship with Rivers and whether he wants him back.

“Our relationship is OK,” Harden said.

Rivers has compiled a 154-82 regular-season record with the Sixers. He’s 20-15 in the postseason.