Doc Rivers has taken his share of criticism as a playoff coach for blown 3-1 leads and some questionable player rotations and minutes.
Rivers is now also one of only five coaches with 100 or more playoff wins.
With the 76ers victory over the Raptors on Monday, Rivers picked up his 100th victory and moved past Celtics’ legend Red Auerbach (99) into a tie for fifth on the NBA’s all-time coaching playoff wins list. (Auerbach won nine titles coaching the Celtics in the 1950s-60s, but the playoffs were much shorter then.)
Rivers is now tied with another former 76ers coach in Larry Brown with 100 playoff wins, but Rivers should move into fourth by himself on that coaching list before this first-round series with Toronto is over. As for catching the top three on the list, good luck with that:
1. Phil Jackson 229
2. Pat Riley 171
3. Gregg Popovich 170
In addition to the wins — longevity and constantly having teams that get deep into the playoffs matters — if you want to question Rivers as a playoff coach, he would like to show you his 2008 championship ring. Rivers may not be the greatest playoff coach ever, but he’s better than some give him credit for.
