76ers vs. Wizards: Doc Rivers Addresses Team’s ‘Cocky’ Mindset

Were the Sixers too cocky against the Wizards?

The Philadelphia 76ers have had quite the confidence boost as of late. When the team opened up its seven-game homestand a few weeks back, the Sixers fired off seven-straight victories, winning each matchup in many different ways.

Then the Sixers kept the ball rolling on the road on Christmas Day. In a matchup with the New York Knicks, the Sixers trailed for three-quarters of the game. In the fourth, Philadelphia got out in front and completed a comeback win. It was the second-straight game the Sixers trailed for the majority of the matchup before constructing a successful comeback.

After Sunday’s matchup in New York City, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid mentioned that the way the Sixers rallied late in the two games against Los Angeles and New York gave them certain confidence that would be good moving forward. 

“Easily,” said Joel Embiid. “You look at the last two starts, the last first halves of both games, it goes back to not just — I don’t wanna call out anybody — but it’s a team effort. The physicality at the level of the screen, guarding our own man, that’s how we’ve been starting. That’s how we need to do a better job, but obviously, we’ve come back both times and we’ve won both games so we just gotta put it all together.” via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.

On Tuesday against the Washington Wizards, the Sixers nearly had the same results. In the first half of action, Philadelphia trailed by as many as 15 points. By the fourth quarter, the game was within one possession for the Sixers, who were working on another comeback. 

But this time around, the Sixers were unsuccessful. Was Philadelphia too cocky in Tuesday’s game? Sixers head coach Doc Rivers couldn’t say for sure — but if that was the case — then the head coach doesn’t take issue with that mentality for his team.

“I love that in us,” Rivers stated. “I want to have that. I want us to have; we’re down by 20, I want you to be cocky enough to believe you can win every game, so I’m all for that.”

The idea that the Sixers won’t crumble under the pressure of being on the wrong side of a big lead is a positive development for this year’s team as in previous years, the Sixers sort of had a reputation for waiving the white flag early and shifting focus on the next matchup.

This year’s Sixers have proven to be confident enough to execute a notable second-half comeback. However, Rivers didn’t see that out of his team on Tuesday. 

“[We] got to do it by playing the way the Sixers play… Philadelphia basketball,” he continued. “Being physical, rebounding, getting deflections, moving the ball. I didn’t think we did any of that tonight, and that’s why we lost.”

While the Sixers had flashes of dominant sequences both early on and late in Tuesday’s game, there was no consistency. And at times when the Sixers gained even the slightest bit of steam, it seemed self-inflicting wounds would deflate the team during critical stretches. 

Tuesday was a good reality check for the 76ers, letting them know that on any given night, any team, no matter what their record is, can offer a tough matchup. While it was a humbling moment for Philadelphia, a late December loss in Washington shouldn’t affect the confidence of the squad.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.