May 15 (UPI) -- Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers expects to return next season, despite losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third-consecutive season, he told reporters.
The Boston Celtics crushed the 76ers 112-88 in Game 7 of the series Sunday in Boston. Rivers-coached teams have now lost five-consecutive Game 7s.
The 76ers went 54-28 en route to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference this postseason. They went 51-31 and held the No. 4 seed in 2021-22. Rivers led the 2020-21 76ers to a 49-23 mark en route to the top seed before their run ended in the conference semifinals.
Rivers, 61, signed a 5-year, $40 million pact with the 76ers in 2020. He remains under contract for the next two seasons.
Related
"Yeah," Rivers said, when asked if he expects to return in 2023-24. "I think I have two years left.
Rivers also said "no one is safe in our business," in response to a follow-up question.
Rivers owns a 1,097-763 regular-season record in 24 seasons as an NBA head coach. He is 111-104 in the postseason. Rivers led teams to the conference finals twice in 19 postseason trips, including his 2008 championship-winning run with the Celtics.
The 76ers last won the NBA Finals in 1983. They last reached the NBA Finals in 2001, when they lost to Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The No. 2 Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where they will meet the No. 8 Miami Heat. Game 1 will be Wednesday in Boston.
