Sixers-Hawks Game 2 takeaways: Doc Rivers did his job
After a series of boneheaded mistakes in Game 1, Doc Rivers brought a much better game plan to the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday. Rather than Danny Green, it was Ben Simmons who checked Trae Young from the tip. Rather than keeping Embiid back in pick-and-rolls, the Sixers brought more pressure and forced Trae to confront length in the middle of the floor.
In addition to that one key adjustment, Rivers finally did away with the all-bench units. While the Tobias Harris-plus-reserves group was largely unsuccessful until the fourth quarter — an anomalous stretch that is unlikely to be replicated in future games — it’s certainly a step up from a complete unwillingness to stagger. We also saw some very long Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons stretches. Not ideal considering the state of Embiid’s knee, but a necessary evil on the world’s biggest stage. It’s playoff basketball.
Rivers’ stubbornness has been a topic of discussion all season, and even further back for those who follow the Clippers. Doc coached LA out of the playoffs last season because of his unwillingness to make simple, no-duh changes based on situation and momentum. He did not fail to do so in Game 2 — a pretty big relief for much of the Sixers fandom.
We will see what happens in Game 3, with the comfort of home no longer available and Nate McMillan’s inevitable counters in play. Until then, however, the Sixers have reason to believe Rivers can do his duty well.