The hopes of the Philadelphia 76ers to capture the NBA title in the 2022-23 season went up in flames on Sunday when they got booted out of the playoffs by Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. The 112-88 loss to the Celtics in Game 7 of that second-round series was enough to be viewed by many as an indictment of the lack of commitment on the part of Sixers superstars Joel Embiid and James Harden — at least that was the case if you ask former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins, who felt he had to defend his former coach, Doc Rivers, amid the criticisms the Sixers mentor is getting.
“If I’m Doc Rivers I wouldn’t even give them a chance to fire me… I’ll just step down right after the game! A blind man can see this ain’t on him. His 2 Stars basically QUIT,” Perkins tweeted following the Sixers' Game 7 loss to Boston.
Rivers' history of playoff meltdowns is certainly not helping cool down his seat at the moment. But while he's a convenient target for anyone looking to have someone to blame for the Sixers' debacle against the Celtics, it can't also be denied that both Joel Embiid and James Harden were huge disappointments in the series, particularly in the final two games.
In Games 6 and 7, Joel Embiid averaged just 20.5 points on 37.8 percent shooting from the field. Over the same stretch, Harden put up a measly 11.0 points on 25.9 percent shooting from the floor.
It will be interesting to see whether the Sixers will continue to have Doc Rivers on the sidelines or will be the next team to look for a new head coach.
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