“I’m not going to sit here and complain, I’m not going to do what they do” - Doc Rivers throws major shade at the Toronto Raptors, admits they deserve credit for their performance in Game 4
It was a dramatic end to Game 4 of the Philadelphia 76ers-Toronto Raptors matchup, and Sixers head coach Doc Rivers threw a shade at the Toronto Raptors. In his post-game conference, he said:
"I don't want to take away from what Toronto did. I thought they played hard. They played a bigger lineup at times and did a lot of switching. Give them some credit. They deserved to win the game tonight. I'm not going to sit here and complain. I'm not going to do what they do. We got beat tonight."
"Give them some credit. They deserved to win the game tonight. I'm not going to sit here and complain, I'm not going to do what they do." 😬 https://t.co/PCYOw5SHRd
Doc's statement could be seen as him throwing shade directly at the Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, who did a lot of complaining in Game 2. Joel Embiid also had some words for him after the game, asking him to stop complaining about the calls.
A lot of complaints came from the Sixers camp, primarily about how the game was officiated. After the final buzzer, Embiid sarcastically applauded the officials, also stating in his post-conference that "they did the job they came to do."
The Toronto Raptors won the game 110-102 and avoided a sweep, which looked like the likeliest outcome heading into the series. Pascal Siakam was the talisman who made sure his team remains in the contest.
The events of Game 4 have definitely stirred up some emotions, which will be seen in Game 5 at Wells Fargo Center.
It is not absurd to see players demand calls they believe they should be getting. Given the stage (playoffs), there will undoubtedly be more of it.
Can the Toronto Raptors win Game 5 in Philadelphia?
For the Raptors to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, they have to win their next three games. Winning four consecutive games against the Sixers is easier said than done.
The Raptors avoid the sweep and force Game 5‼️ https://t.co/8zkcJFqqZ7
However, they have to take it one game at a time, with their next challenge happening in Philly. Game 5 promises to be a tense affair, as the Sixers will be looking to exact revenge for their perceived robbing.
The Sixers have won both games on their home court in this series and will fancy their chances of winning Game 5 to close out the series.
Given how things have played out in this series, the Raptors will try to be as physical as possible to better their chances of winning. However, their defense needs to remain in the legal realm to avoid sending players to the charity stripe.
Both teams will have two days to rest before getting back on the court on Monday night. A win for the Raptors would guarantee, at least, one more game in the series.