Doc Rivers defends his playoff resumé: 'I wish you all would tell the whole story' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AFP – Scanpix Credit AFP – Scanpix

The Philadelphia 76ers looked in control of the series with the Toronto Raptors until a few days ago. Philadelphia was leading the series 3-0 and could have easily finished the discussion.

Philadelphia 76ers / Schedule

Toronto Raptors Philadelphia 76ers110-102 Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors88-103 Toronto Raptors Philadelphia 76ersThu23:00

But the situation in the next two games changed. Toronto won Game 4 at home and returned to Philadelphia with more motivation. The Raptors crushed the Sixers in Game 5 on the road, keeping Doc Rivers' team at only 88 points.

So now doubts are starting to emerge about the Sixers and their possibility of winning the series. Game 6 will be played tonight in Toronto, and Doc Rivers is under pressure.

Before the game, the coach of the 76ers was asked about his playoff resume. Rivers is the only coach in the history of the NBA to have blown a 3-1 lead in a playoff series three times, once with the Orlando Magic and the other two with the L.A. Clippers.

But the Sixers head coach defended his playoff resumé with the reporters, asking them to tell the whole story.

"Well, it's easy to use me as an example, but I wish you all would tell the whole story with me, all right?" Rivers asked the reporters.

"My Orlando team in 2003 was the eighth seed. No one gives me credit for getting up against the Pistons, who won the title that season. I dare you to go back and look at that roster. And you would say 'what a hell of a coaching job that was'", Rivers said.

"I mean, the Clippers team in 2015 that we lost, Chris Paul didn't play the first two games and was playing on one leg, and we didn't have home court. And then the last one in 2020, to me, is the one we blew. That's the one I took", Rivers added. "We blew that. And that was in the bubble. Anything can happen in the bubble".

"But it just happens. So I would say with me, some of them is...I gotta do better always. I always take my own responsibility. And then some of it is, circumstances happen. This one, let's win it, and we don't have to talk about it," Rivers concluded.

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