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Sixers fire head coach Doc Rivers

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that the team has parted ways with Head Coach Doc Rivers. Rivers was named the 25th head coach in 76ers’ franchise history on Oct. 2, 2020. He coached three seasons for Philadelphia, compiling a 154-82 (.653) regular-season record.

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey:

“Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely. We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. 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.”

Via the Philadelphia Inquirer:

As a team, the Sixers this season posted their highest win total (54) since 2000-01, when they advanced to the NBA Finals. This season, they ranked third in the league in offensive efficiency (117 points per 100 possessions), eighth in defensive efficiency (112.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) and first in net rating in “clutch” time (plus-16.6), or when a scoring margin is within five or fewer points with five or less minutes remaining.

The Sixers also had the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record during the condensed 2020-21 regular season (49-23), improved their win total in each of the next two seasons, and became one of the league’s best road teams after previous struggles away from home.

Warriors vs. Lakers Game 6 on ESPN did big TV ratings

Game 6 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Western Conference Semifinals series on ESPN was the most-watched Conference Semifinals game broadcast in 12 years (since 2011), according to Nielsen.

The ESPN broadcast delivered an average of 8,640,000 viewers, peaking with 9,295,000 viewers at 11 p.m. ET. This was the most-watched program of the day for May 12 across all of television and in all key demographics.

The Game 6 viewership was up 38 percent from last year’s comparable game – Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies – which averaged 6,282,000 viewers.

2023 NBA Conference Finals series schedules

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics (2) vs. Miami Heat (8)

• Game 1: Heat vs. Celtics | Wed., May 17 | 8:30 ET, TNT
• Game 2: Heat vs. Celtics | Fri., May 19 | 8:30 ET, TNT
• Game 3: Celtics vs. Heat | Sun., May 21 | 8:30 ET, TNT
• Game 4: Celtics vs. Heat | Tue., May 23 | 8:30 ET, TNT
• *Game 5: Heat vs. Celtics | Thu., May 25 | 8:30 ET, TNT
• *Game 6: Celtics vs. Heat | Sat., May 27 | 8:30 ET, TNT
• *Game 7: Heat vs. Celtics | Mon., May 29 | 8:30 ET, TNT

* if necessary

Western Conference

Denver Nuggets (1) vs. L.A. Lakers (7)

• Game 1: Lakers vs. Nuggets | Tue., May 16 | 8:30 ET, ESPN
• Game 2: Lakers vs. Nuggets | Thu., May 18 | 8:30 ET, ESPN
• Game 3: Nuggets vs. Lakers | Sat., May 20 | 8:30 ET, ABC
• Game 4: Nuggets vs. Lakers | Mon., May 22 | 8:30 ET, ESPN
• *Game 5: Lakers vs. Nuggets | Wed., May 24 | 8:30 ET, ESPN
• *Game 6: Nuggets vs. Lakers | Fri., May 26 | 8:30 ET, ESPN
• *Game 7: Lakers vs. Nuggets | Sun., May 28 | 8:30 ET, ESPN

* if necessary

Ja Morant suspended by Grizzlies after showing a gun in another Instagram Live video

Via the Memphis Commercial Appeal:

NBA All-Star point guard Ja Morant has been suspended from all team activities after brandishing a gun in another Instagram Live video, the Memphis Grizzlies announced Sunday.

The viral video was taken from Morant’s close friend Davonte Pack’s Instagram account. Pack was also with Morant on the night of a previous gun incident in a Colorado nightclub in March, and Pack was banned from Grizzlies home games earlier this season after a confrontation with players from the Indiana Pacers.

“We are aware of the social media video involving Ja Morant,” a statement from the Grizzlies read Sunday. “He is suspended from all team activities pending league review. We have no further comment at this time.”

Via ESPN.com:

“We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement Sunday.

On Saturday, during an Instagram Live session on Morant’s friend Davonte Pack’s account, the All-Star flashed a handgun while driving and singing along with a rap song. The video has since been deleted.

Morant left the Grizzlies and entered a counseling program in March after a video showed him holding a gun while intoxicated at a Denver club when the Grizzlies were in town to play the Nuggets. He was eventually suspended eight games after meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who called Morant’s conduct “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous.”

Phoenix Suns fire head coach Monty Williams

Via the Arizona Republic:

Monty Williams said Friday he doesn’t worry about his job, but can see why one would in today’s NBA.

“From my perspective, you do the best you can and if things don’t turn out the way you want them to, you can sleep and rest because you did the best you could and that’s all you can do, but I’m not closed minded on what I’ve seen in the league,’ Williams said. “A lot of these guys who’ve lost their jobs are good friends of mine.”

A day later, the Suns fired Williams, sources confirmed to The Republic Saturday evening.

This comes after the Suns were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs in the Western Conference semifinals after falling to No. 1 seeded Denver by 25 points in Thursday’s Game 6 at Footprint Center…

“Monty has been foundational to our success over the past four seasons,” said Suns president of basketball operations and General Manager James Jones in the news release. “We are filled with gratitude for everything Monty has contributed to the Suns and to the Valley community. While it was difficult for me to make this decision, I look forward to continuing the work to build a championship team.”

Via ESPN.com:

New Suns owner Mat Ishbia made the decision to dismiss Williams immediately after Thursday night’s Game 6 loss to the Denver Nuggets and had general manager James Jones called him on Saturday night and deliver the news, sources said.

Williams won an NBA Coach of the Year award and reached the NBA Finals while helping to resurrect the franchise from one of the league’s laughingstocks into the winningest team in the NBA over the past three seasons.

The pressure on Williams increased from the moment Ishbia engineered the trade deadline deal for Kevin Durant in February, shortly after Ishbia’s ownership group was approved by the league’s Board of Governors.

Ishbia had never warmed to Williams as his coach and decided quickly after Thursday night’s season-ending loss that he would fire him, sources said. Jones has long been an advocate and ally to Williams, but was quoted in the team’s news release on Saturday night saying that “it was difficult for me to make this decision.”

Evan Fournier predicts a future beyond Knicks

Via the NY Post:

After the Knicks’ second-round exit from the playoffs, Evan Fournier is convinced of two things:

He could’ve helped them in their series loss to Miami.

And they’re not going to bring him back.

“There’s no way they’re going to keep me. I would be very surprised if they did,” Fournier said after Friday night’s season-ending, Game 6 loss in South Florida. “So we’ll see. It’s obviously not in my hands.” …

He inked a hefty four-year, $73 million contract before last season that has now made him a salary-cap albatross.

He has two years left on the deal, but 2024-25 is a club option, essentially making him a one-year expiring contract.

Warriors were not a championship team, says coach Steve Kerr

Via the Bay Area News Group:

Steve Kerr surveyed the visitors’ locker room at Crypto.com Arena Friday night and saw tired eyes and disappointed faces looking back at him.

The Warriors’ season was over. It had ended with a 122-101 drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. It had ended in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, two big steps short of the NBA Finals, where six of their last eight seasons have ended, five times with a championship.

There was sadness in the room, but there had been time to come to grips with the reality. The Warriors, in a microcosm of their season-long struggles on the road, had trailed by double-digits the entire second half. They were down by 20 points with nine minutes to play.

Kerr noted that the Warriors were one of eight teams still playing this week.

“That’s probably where we should be,” a top-eight team in the league, Kerr said. “This is not a championship team.

“When you go 11-30 on the road during the regular season, that’s not what championship teams do,” Kerr said. “It felt like all season we were desperately trying to recapture what we had last year and we did a pretty damn good job of finding something here over the last month.”

On the Pelicans offense with and without Zion Williamson

Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

Zion Williamson was a one-man offense in his final game of the season.

In a Jan. 2 tilt against the Philadelphia 76ers, Williamson scored 26 points in 28 minutes. He took 12 shots. He made 10 of them. Despite dealing with a thicket of defenders inside, he converted 10 of 11 paint attempts.

Then in the third quarter of that game, Williamson came up limping.

The Pelicans ranked eighth in points scored per 100 possessions in the NBA at the time of Williamson’s injury. After he got hurt — a right hamstring strain that would knock him out for the remainder of the season — their offense cratered. Williamson was unable to play in the final 45 games. The Pelicans ranked 25th in points scored per 100 possessions in this stretch.

The Pelicans fell from third place to ninth place in the West without Williamson. They failed to advance out of the NBA play-in tournament, as they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West’s Nos. 9-10 matchup.

Denver Nuggets advance to 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals

Via the Denver Post:

An hour before Game 6, Jamal Murray’s head drooped. The Nuggets guard took a brief moment to breathe after missing a string of baseline jumpers during his warmup routine. Then he gathered himself, moved to the wing and spotted up for the next shot.

Murray was going through it. He skipped shootaround Thursday in Arizona and stayed in bed until 2 or 3 p.m., he estimated later. He ate his first meal of the day after he got to Footprint Center. He had been feeling ill since Monday, but this was the worst it had gotten. Murray was listed as questionable on the Nuggets’ injury report before the close-out opportunity vs. the Suns.

“This morning was crazy,” Murray said after a series-clinching win.

That he stayed on the court for four quarters Thursday night was a testament to an essential quality Murray and the Nuggets possess.

Whether it’s playing through physical illness or calling fiery timeouts up 23, all championship teams have the ability to convince themselves they’re swimming upstream against something — no matter how dominant or highly regarded the team is.