Doc Rivers defends himself over infamous 3-1 series collapses
Photo Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA Today Sports
Doc Rivers’ history of blowing 3-1 leads in the playoffs is a sensitive subject for him.
Rivers got testy on Wednesday when asked at a media session about his record blowing 3-1 leads in the playoffs. As a head coach, Rivers has blown 3-1 series leads on three occasions.
2003 First Round: Rivers’ Orlando Magic blew 3-1 lead on Detroit Pistons
2015 Second Round: Rivers’ LA Clippers blew a 3-1 lead on the Houston Rockets
2020 Second Round: Rivers’ LA Clippers blew a 3-1 lead on the Denver Nuggets (in the bubble)
Rivers defended himself in the face of questioning about his pattern. He argued why each situation was different and not as bad as it sounds collectively.
Doc Rivers got a little defensive when discussing his past teams' collapses 👀 pic.twitter.com/88PqjDDUZa
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 27, 2022
The questions about Rivers are popping up again due to Philly’s current situation.
The 76ers took a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series with the Toronto Raptors. They have since lost two in a row and now lead 3-2.
Rivers can help quiet some of the questions if his team closes out the series in Game 6 on Thursday night. If they don’t, he’ll be facing much more ridicule.
