Doc Rivers seemed in a joking mood after the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards. Obviously, they were expected to win as they were the favorites in the brackets. However, when you face off against a team spearheaded by Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, there is little margin for error. Despite the final score, the game was fairly close, and at times, the Wizards looked like they could pull of an upset.
The game was played on Philadelphia’s home court, and it seemed as though the 76ers were able to feed off the atmosphere. Doc Rivers commented on the fans and made a small joke at the expense of the Republican Party.
Doc Rivers on the extra fans today:
"I can't believe that was 10,000, 11,000. There's no way. I think we're counting like the Republicans because it felt like 30,000 people in the stands. They were amazing.
"Let's keep it going. It's so nice to have that at home."
— Tom West (@TomWestNBA) May 23, 2021
Obviously, Doc Rivers is referring to the Republican party’s attempt to change the result of the election, although it did end up failing. What is more important is the Philadelphia fans are back: they are one of the most passionate fanbases in the nation. It must be nice to see the results of longtime tanking on the court, represented by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
There is no doubt that the Philadelphia 76ers have achieved the status of a contender. Tobias Harris had an All-Star caliber performance and reinforced the notion that he should be an All-Star if he keeps up his play. They still have to win 3 more games to finish the series, and they have the talent to close it out. The 76ers could potentially get out of the Eastern Conference this season, and their fans will have to bring all the energy to help them.
