Doc Rivers won his first game as the Bucks’ head coach on Saturday night in his third game in charge of the team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 78 points in the Bucks’ duel with the Mavericks. Milwaukee pulled away from Dallas in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 36-25 in the frame and sealing a 129-117 victory despite a 40-point effort from Luka Doncic.
Incredibly, Milwaukee’s victory earned Rivers the right to coach the Eastern Conference in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, a fact that the veteran coach could hardly believe when made aware of it after the game.
“That is ridiculously bad,” Rivers said of his All-Star status, with a laugh. “It really is.”
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Why is Doc Rivers coaching the East in the NBA All-Star Game?
A perfect set of circumstances resulted in Rivers getting the All-Star coaching gig.
First, of course, Rivers had to be hired by the Bucks. That move occurred less than 24 hours after Milwaukee fired Adrian Griffin and wasn’t a surprise, as Rivers quickly emerged as the top candidate to take over.
That said, many were surprised that Griffin was dismissed. After all, the first-year coach posted a 30-13 record in his 43 games with the Bucks. But ultimately, he was done in by an apparent disconnect between himself and the players on Milwaukee’s roster, including two-time MVP Antetokounmpo.
That opened the door for Rivers and gave him control over a true Eastern Conference contender midseason.
Still, Rivers acknowledged the work that Griffin did with the Bucks after Rivers earned his All-Star nod. He promised to reward Griffin for his semi-successful — albeit short — stint in Milwaukee.
“Well, Adrian’s gonna get some money. That’s for sure,” Rivers told reporters after the team’s win over the Mavericks. “And a ring.”
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Rivers doesn’t just have Griffin to thank for his All-Star nomination. He also owes a debt of gratitude to his former team, the Celtics, who are tracking to be in first place in the East for a second consecutive All-Star break.
Typically, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla would have been granted the chance to coach the East All-Stars by virtue of Boston’s conference-best record. However, the 35-year-old coached in the event last season amid the Celtics’ torrid start, so he couldn’t be chosen for the honor in back-to-back years.
That opened the door for the coaching gig to go to whichever team ranked as the East’s No. 2 seed as of Sunday, Feb. 4. The Bucks ultimately staved off stiff competition from the Cavaliers and Knicks to wrap up that honor on Saturday.
Rivers is well aware that he was lucky to land the job, and he even proposed a rule change that the NBA could implement should they want to replace him in that role.
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“You know, it’s one of these quirky things,” Rivers said. “I think there should be a rule somehow that someone else does it other than me. Maybe I’ll send my staff, and I’ll go on vacation.”
For now, it looks like the Bucks’ newest head man will coach all of 10 games before heading to Indianapolis as a part of the league’s All-Star Game festivities.