Doc Rivers says that he challenged a call he knew that he would lose, but for a good reason.
Rivers’ Philadelphia 76ers notched a big win on Saturday night, beating the surging Milwaukee Bucks on the road 133-130.
With the game was tied at 108 in the fourth quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo drove to the basket for a potential layup, only for Joel Embiid to step in his way. The Sixers big man was called for a foul.
Rivers challenged the call, arguing that Antetokounmpo should have been cited for a charge.
Rivers said after the game that he challenged the call -- one which he was pretty sure he would lose -- for motivational purposes. He challenged to show Embiid the coaches were fighting for the All-Star center.
It’s possible this was just a little after-the-fact narrative from Rivers, but regardless, the Sixers picked up a big win against one of the best teams in the NBA.
With the head-to-head win, Philadelphia is now four games behind the Bucks, who saw their 16-game winning streak come to an end.
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