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[Saba Sports News] Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers made an early exit during Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, handing the reins to assistant coach Darvin Ham to close things out.
The Bucks PR team later stated that Rivers wasn’t feeling well and had retreated to the locker room to watch the remainder of the game.
After Milwaukee’s 126-113 win, Ham revealed the reason for Rivers’ early departure: a bout of stomach issues, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Rivers, 63, is in his second season with the Bucks and marks his 26th as an NBA head coach. While the Bucks haven’t quite lived up to elite expectations this year, sitting at 42-34, they’re still on track to secure a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for Rivers and Milwaukee. The team made waves by trading Khris Middleton at the deadline in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, and recently, they’ve been without Damian Lillard due to a blood-clotting issue—though there’s been some promising news on that front.
With six games left, Milwaukee is in a tight race to lock down either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. Their fate may hinge on a crucial home-and-home showdown against the Detroit Pistons, who are neck-and-neck with them at 42-34.