Doc Rivers Will Miss Wednesday’s Game vs. Cavaliers

Doc Rivers will not be available to coach the Sixers on Wednesday.

Justin Grasso | Oct 5, 2022

Doc Rivers Will Miss Wednesday’s Game vs. Cavaliers /

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Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers will miss Wednesday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to a team official, the head coach is “under the weather” on Wednesday.

With Rivers resting and away from the team, Sixers assistant Dave Joerger will take over and coach the team against the Cavaliers for the Sixers’ second preseason matchup.

Joerger joined the Sixers’ organization the same season Rivers signed on as the team’s head coach. Along with former Indiana Pacers veteran assistant Dan Burke, Joerger was considered one of Rivers’ top assistants considering his experience.

In the past, Joerger held multiple head coaching positions. After serving as an assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2007 to 2013, Joerger was hired as the head coach. He spent three seasons running the Grizzlies before getting fired in May 2014.

After his stint in Memphis, Joerger landed his second head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings. He lasted three seasons with the Kings before he was released after Sacramento missed the playoffs for the third-straight season.

Following a year away from the game, Joerger returned to a team’s bench by linking up with Rivers in Philadelphia. Wednesday marks the second time Joerger will get an opportunity to fill in for Rivers.

The Sixers are set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers for their second preseason matchup. Coming off an impressive victory on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, Wednesday serves the Sixers an opportunity to play on their home court for the first time since the 2021 playoff run.

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

Published Oct 5, 2022

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA