“Doc Rivers has been blowing 3-1 Playoffs leads for 17 years”: 76ers coach’s lackluster track record going into Game 6 between Joel Embiid and co and Raptors

Doc Rivers has had a 17 year gap between his first 3-1 lead blown and his most recent 3-1 lead blown as 76ers go into Game 6 with 3-2 lead. 

Doc Rivers has enjoyed quite the luxurious coaching career in the NBA. He has been the bench boss for 4 different teams over the course of 23 years and has had an assortment of superstars at his disposal; everybody from Tracy McGrady to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to his Clippers guys like Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George. 

Over these 23 years, Doc Rivers has won merely a single championship, with that being the storied 2008 Boston Celtics who had the greatest regular season turnaround between two seasons in league history. They had a storybook Playoff run as it ended with besting Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

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However, every other Playoff run before and after that 2008 title has been marred with extensive postseason disappointment. Below is a list of Playoff series that Doc has coached in, had a significant lead, and ended up losing. 

• HC for 2003 Orlando Magic: 3-1 lead blown to Detroit Pistons in first round 
• HC for 2009 Boston Celtics: 3-2 lead blown to Orlando Magic in ECSF 
• HC for 2010 Boston Celtics: 3-2 lead blown to Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Finals 
• HC for 2012 Boston Celtics: 3-2 lead blown to Miami Heat in ECF 
• HC for 2015 Los Angeles Clippers: 3-1 lead blown to Houston Rockets in WCSF 
• HC for 2016 Los Angeles Clippers: 2-0 lead blown to Portland Trailblazers in first round 
• HC for 2020 Los Angeles Clippers: 3-1 lead blown to Denver Nuggets in WCSF 

Doc Rivers and his Philadelphia 76ers. 

His first season coaching Joel Embiid and the 76ers came with them going home in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals when they had the potential to win it all last year. Due to several botched plays and an absolute meltdown from Ben Simmons, the Sixers lost in 7 to Trae Young and the Hawks. 

In his second season with the Sixers and James Harden manning the point, Doc Rivers has entered the 2022 Playoffs as the heavy favorites to win their first round matchup against the Toronto Raptors. They would go up 3-0 against them and were looking for a clean sweep.

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But of course, with adjustments being rare, especially on defense, the Sixers have dropped two straight game and are looking for a Game 6 win in Toronto to hopefully not have a Game 7 opportunity. At this point, the entirety of the NBA media world is rooting for the Raps to win, including Skip Bayless. 

There has never been a 3-0 comeback in the history of the NBA but many believe that if it were to happen, it would certainly be against a team that is coached by Doc Rivers.