The Philadelphia 76ers have announced that veteran NBA coach Doc Rivers won’t return to the franchise’s head coaching spot next year. Rivers got the ax after a devastating Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, his third semifinals elimination in as many seasons, ESPN reported. He was just coming off his 16th winning season as a head coach, during which he has suffered Game 7 losses in 10. “We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise,” Darryl Morey, president of basketball operations for the 76ers, said. “After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.”
