Doc Rivers: 76ers Aren’t Ready to Win After Spurs Loss

Doc Rivers reacts to the Sixers' recent loss to the Spurs.

Many expected the Philadelphia 76ers to bounce back on Saturday night. After facing the Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics, on Tuesday night, the 76ers went home 0-1. On Thursday, they faced Milwaukee Bucks and collected their second-straight loss.

Saturday’s opponent seemed perfect for a Sixers team that needed a win to gain their confidence back after a slow start. But a young and scrappy Spurs team wasn’t ready to be walked over.

A quick start for the Sixers put them in front with an eight-point lead in the first quarter. The Spurs punched back in the second quarter as they ran through the Sixers’ defense, scoring 35 points while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field.

At halftime, the Sixers trailed by three points. In the third quarter, they were outscored 31-26. The Sixers teased a possible comeback for the second-straight game but couldn’t find success as their defense continued to struggle, and their offense remained inconsistent.

“Defensively, we were slow, and we were behind,” said Sixers coach Doc Rivers. “Offensively, we just cannot get pace.”

With a shockingly disappointing 114-105 loss on Saturday night, the Sixers dropped to 0-3 on the year. While the team understands it’s still very early in the year, Doc Rivers clarified that the team hadn’t shown signs of being deserving of moving into the win column just yet.

“We’re not ready yet,” said Rivers. “Honestly, we’re just not ready to win yet, and you can feel that. We got a lot of work to do. It’s almost like we played these first two games hard, competed, and now we can win some games. You still got to go out and earn the game.”

The Sixers have a lot of work to do from Saturday until Monday. After getting a rest day on Sunday, the 76ers will return to South Philly to host the Indiana Pacers on Monday. While Monday’s matchup is another opportunity for the Sixers to play a team they look better than on paper, Saturday’s loss to the Spurs proves the Sixers are in no position to take their competitors lightly at this time. 

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