The Philadelphia 76ers took part in training on Wednesday, in preparation for the 6th game against the Raptors, which is on Thursday night. The series may well be halfway there which could be an unparalleled disaster Sixersleading 3-0 before losing the last two games.

76ers coach Doc Rivers is the only coach to have lost more than once after leading a 3-1 series, an enviable highlight that has happened to him three times in his career. But in Rivers’s eyes, statistics do not explain everything and you have to dig much deeper to understand the context.

“It’s easy to use me as an example. But I would like you to give me the full story. OKAY? Rivers said after training on Wednesday.

“In 2003, my team in Orlando was in 8th place. Nobody praises me for what we did against the Pistons, who won the title. It was a team in 8th place. Go see the roster that year. I challenge you to go see. And you will say “What a wonderful coaching job”. Really. »

“Back then the 2015 Clippers could not rely on Chris Paul in the first two games and Paul was playing with one foot for the rest of the series. We did not even have a home advantage. Finally, in 2020 against the Nuggets, I take responsibility. We escaped this lead. And it was in the bubble. And anything can happen in the bubble. “There is no home advantage, while the 7th game would have taken place in Los Angeles under normal conditions”, Rivers defended.

“It simply came to our notice then. I always have to do better, I take my responsibilities. “This time, let’s win, so we don’t need to talk about it,” Rivers said of the 2022 series against the Raptors.

And this year, against the Raptors, the 76ers are trying to limit the damage and not add another stain to their history when they lead a series. Last year alone, the 76ers wasted a 36-point lead over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 – before losing Game 7 to their fans.

The Sixers beat the Raptors in the first two games before escaping with an overtime victory in Game 3. They then saw the Raptors regain their momentum in Games 4 and 5. Rivers believes it can be difficult for a team to complete the job. .

“Right now, I think both teams have stood out. We have their attention and they have ours. »

To win, Rivers believes the 76ers will have to find a much better pace than they did in the previous two games.