Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers expressed his disappointment at the NBA’s officiating game report from Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, which saw 13 officiating errors that disadvantaged the 76ers compared to four for the Boston Celtics. The disparity was crucial, and it was hard to recover from when it was a one or two-point game. Rivers also mentioned that such a difference in numbers was rare, as in previous games, they were usually only two to three mistakes, which could be overcome.
Philadelphia had a two-point lead with six minutes left in the game before Boston went on a 14-3 run to close the game, resulting in a series-tying victory. After Game 6, James Harden told reporters that he was frustrated with the referees’ numerous missed calls throughout the night. Rivers said that everyone feels pressure in these situations, but it’s a privilege to be part of them.
As Philadelphia seeks to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001, and Rivers seeks his first conference finals appearance since 2012, the coach said that everyone involved in these situations feels the pressure to win. The coach believes that it’s about putting yourself out there and taking the risk to win, and if you do, you have to put yourself in these situations over and over again. Rivers also stated that, ultimately, it’s worth it.
