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The Philadelphia 76ers are sitting pretty heading into Game 4 vs. the Toronto Raptors. They have a 3-0 lead and are looking to secure a sweep Saturday afternoon and earn a ticket to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Despite their three-game lead, there is a lot of pressure on the Sixers, especially Doc Rivers. The head coach is notoriously known for blowing both playoff series leads and game leads. That being said, he's laser-focused on winning Game 4 in Toronto on Saturday.
Sixers team reporter Lauren Rosen tweeted the head coach's steadfast mindset ahead of the matchup.
Doc Rivers on the @sixers’ Game 4 mentality:
“We’ve earned the lead, but we can’t stop doing what we’re doing, and we’ve got to do it better… You can’t take any game for granted in the playoffs. You’ve got to take care of your business, and you have to do it with great focus.”
— Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) April 22, 2022
While it's a do-or-die game for the Raptors, the Sixers technically don't need to win Game 4 to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, if they don't complete the sweep, Rivers' job and reputation could be on the line.
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Despite having the 10th most wins as a head coach in NBA history and winning the NBA title in 2008, many look at Rivers based on recent mistakes he's made as a coach.
In his 22 seasons as a head coach, Rivers has had some brutal losses, including three 3-1 playoff series leads, and one 2-0 playoff series lead.
Most recently, he led the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2021. Rather than focusing on a decent playoff run, fans recall the Game 7 home loss, 18-point lead blown in Game 4, and 26-point lead blown in Game 5.
Regardless of the past, Rivers is focused on the game ahead. The Sixers take on the Raptors in Toronto Saturday afternoon in hopes to secure their spot in the Conference Semifinals.
