Austin Rivers Sacrifices ‘Friend’ Tobias Harris To Save Father’s Horrendous Playoff Record

The Philadelphia 76ers’ season is over. They succumbed to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of their first-round series. Despite putting up a valiant effort, the Sixers just couldn’t match New York’s defensive energy and rebounding proficiency, eventually losing the game by a scoreline of 118-115. Joel Embiid led the scoring for Philly, but Tobias Harris, the $180 million man, had a night to forget.

In the crucial Game 6, Tobias Harris couldn’t even notch a single point despite playing for 29 minutes. On top of that, he could only manage to grab 4 boards and dish out 3 dimes. Harris has come under intense scrutiny for underperforming in recent seasons. However, his performance yesterday was abysmal, especially from a player who would earn approximately $39.3 million this season. To put that into perspective, Harris would earn more than the likes of Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that several fans and analysts have criticized Tobias Harris for his Game 6 no-show. And Austin Rivers, who considers Harris a good “friend” falls in that category. In a recent interview on ESPN, Austin Rivers laid into Harris for his Game 6 performance. He said, “When you look at this Sixers team. Zero points for Lowry, I can handle that. But when you’re paying $180 million to a guy like Tobias Harris. That’s a friend of mine. But this is a guy who has not performed at the level of what his contract says.”

Although Austin Rivers’ remarks hold weight, many fans feel he threw his “good friend” Tobias Harris under the bus to deflect media attention away from his father after another botched championship run.

Doc Rivers’ horror show with the Milwaukee Bucks

Following a blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard this off-season, fans of the Milwaukee Bucks were ecstatic. Several experts felt that the Bucks would be the team to beat come playoff time. However, things didn’t go according to the script. While Dame’s acquisition took Milwaukee’s offense to the next level, their suffocating defense took a hit because of Jrue Holiday’s absence.

As a result, the Bucks experienced a notable drop in performance, prompting the team’s management to bring in Doc Rivers as the head coach. Even though Doc Rivers worked on tightening up Milwaukee’s defense, their overall performance didn’t see a big boost. In fact, Rivers only managed to snag wins in 17 out of the 36 games he coached the Bucks. Therefore, confidence in Milwaukee’s title credentials was at an all-time low.

However, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s untimely calf injury further amplified the subdued mood within the Bucks’ locker room. The Bucks faced off against the up-and-coming Indiana Pacers in the first round. Despite Giannis’ injury, they were the favorites to progress. However, the Pacers had other ideas, as they romped to a 4-2 series victory.

This loss further goes on to show Doc Rivers’ possible ineffective style of coaching. In 25 seasons as an NBA coach, Rivers has managed to win just one NBA championship (Celtics 2008). Will his stint with the Bucks be the last straw, or will Rivers continue to coach in the NBA?