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The regular season may be winding down, but the Philadelphia 76ers still have several marquee matchups left on the calendar. That includes a game apiece left against the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, the two teams ahead of the Sixers in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.
The Bucks and Celtics are both playoff-tested, having represented the Eastern Conference in each of the last two NBA Finals, with the former winning it all back in 2021.
Ahead of the matchup, Doc Rivers praised the two team’s stars Giannis Antetokoumpo of the Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics.
“It’s like we can’t celebrate people,” Rivers said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “The league is in a great place, it really is. It’s in an amazing place. You’ve got Joel Embiid and Joker, two centers, in a non-center league, dominating the league. You’ve got Giannis, and I always but him as a whatever, because we don’t know what Giannis is, but he’s one of the best players in the league. Jayson Tatum is playing unbelievable.”
Both Giannis and Tatum have been in the top five of MVP betting odds all season, while Sixers star Joel Embiid has jockeyed with Nikola Jokic for honors at the top of the list.
Doc Rivers Calls Out 76ers Bench After Nuggets Loss
But on Sunday, it wasn’t Embiid who shined brightest for the Sixers, but rather Philly’s bench. With Embiid and Harden out with injuries, Rivers called on the second unit late, including Montrezl Harrell, Jalen McDaniels, and Furkan Korkmaz.
For the game, the Sixers’ bench notched 59 points, by far its best performance in some time.
After the game, Rivers lauded the bench’s effort in the Sixers’ 116-112 loss to Denver.
“It was awesome,” Rivers told reporters after the loss, according to USA Today. “It was great. They all played hard, they switched, they attacked. Defensively, they got their hands on things. They were just very active.”
“It’s like the NCAA Tournament,” Rivers continued. “When you’re the underdog, all of a sudden, the other team’s like ‘oh goodness’, you know, and they can feel it. That made our guys feel good.”
The Sixers also got a strong showing from Tyrese Maxey, who erupted for 20 points in the second quarter, the best single-quarter showing of his career.
Doc Rivers Calls Out Furkan Korkmaz After 76ers’ Loss
As mentioned, Furkan Korkmaz was part of the Sixers’ late-game plans against Denver. It continues a trend of the Sixers veteran seeing some action lately after being completely out of the rotation for much of the season.
And after receiving some time against the Warriors on last week, Rivers praised the international player for being ready at the drop of a hat.
The Sixers will take on Luka Doncic and the struggling Dallas Mavericks Wednesday at home.
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Doc Rivers Sends Message on Giannis & Tatum as 76ers Eye Conference Showdowns