Sixers coach Doc Rivers says he doesn’t pay attention to Eastern Conference standings

For Rivers, making sure his team wins games is more important than keeping track of another franchise's seeding: "It’s not any concern for me right now.”

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers calls plays against the Heat during the 3rd quarter at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Monday, February 27, 2023.Read moreSteven M. Falk / Staff Photographer

by Keith Pompey

Published Mar. 6, 2023, 7:48 p.m. ET

INDIANAPOLIS — Doc Rivers said he doesn’t pay attention to the Eastern Conference standings.

“I literally can’t tell you [who’s in first place],’’ the 76ers coach said before Monday’s 147-143 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “I know Boston or Milwaukee, one of them, are one and two.

“I just know if we win enough games, we will get the one seed, or the two seed or the three. We just got to keep playing and winning.”

The Sixers currently sit in third place in the conference standings. At 41-22, they headed into Monday’s contest 4 ½ games behind the first-place Bucks (46-18) with 19 games remaining. The second-place Celtics (45-20) were three games ahead of the Sixers.

“If it’s something in front of me, I don’t turn away from it or anything like that,” Rivers said of looking at the standings. “I’m just not seeing them. But when I see them, I’ll look. But it’s not any concern for me right now.”

Rivers also doesn’t decide to rest players based on opponent or seeding.

AsCeltics coach back in 2010, Rivers rested several key players late in the season. As a result, Boston lostits final two games and dropped to the fifth seed. But that team ended up taking the Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the NBA Finals.

Milton making most of his opportunities

Shake Milton’s minutes have drastically been reduced.

he Sixers reserve guard averaged 9.2 minutes in the previous seven games heading into Monday’s contest. This came after he averaged 20.3 minutes over a 33-game stretch as a key reserve.

But while his minutes are down, Milton has contributed in big moments during the Sixers’ last two games.

He scored a basket and pulled in a rebound during their 15-0 run to start the fourth quarter in Thursday’s road loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Then, in Saturday’s road win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Milton contributed a steal and a rebound during a 9-0 run to open the fourth.

“Everybody wants more minutes,” Milton said, “but all we talk about is being all-in with this team. Some nights when guys are out, I have to do more. I’m definitely ready for that. Right now, I’m just being asked to be ready. If that means coming in for two minutes, three minutes, five minutes and playing hard and making something happen, then I’m going to make it work.”

That’s exactly what he’s been doing.

With Embiid out last Wednesday, Milton logged 20:36 in the road victory over the Miami Heat. He finished with 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting along with two assists and a rebound. The next night, he had two points, a rebound, and an assist in 4:48. And he was scoreless in 8:45 with one steal, an assist, and a rebound against the Bucks.

Sixers Connection

Pacers guards T.J. McConnell and George Hill along with assistant coach Lloyd Pierce are all former Sixers.

McConnell played his first four NBA seasons in Philadelphia before signing with Indiana on July 29, 2019. The Sixers acquired Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a three-team trade on March 25, 2021. He was waived by the Sixers on Aug. 3, 2021 and signed with the Milwaukee Bucks three days later. And Pierce served as a Sixers assistant coach for four seasons before being hired as the Atlanta Hawks’ head coach on May 11, 2018.