Doc Rivers won his first game as Bucks head coach Saturday night in his third game in charge of the team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 78 points in the Bucks’ duel against 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 the veteran coach could hardly believe when he found out after the game.
“That’s ridiculously bad.” Rivers said about his All-Star status, with a laugh. “Really is.”
Why is Doc Rivers coaching the East in the NBA All-Star Game?
A perfect set of circumstances resulted in Rivers landing the All-Star coaching job.
First, of course, the Bucks had to hire Rivers. That move came less than 24 hours after Milwaukee fired Adrian Griffin and came as no surprise, as Rivers quickly emerged as the leading candidate to take over.
That being said, many were surprised that Griffin was fired. After all, the first-year coach posted a 30-13 record in his 43 games with the Bucks. But in the end, he ended it because of an apparent disconnect between him and 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 Griffin did with the Bucks after Rivers earned his All-Star nod. He promised to reward Griffin for his semi-successful, if brief, stint in Milwaukee.
“Well, Adrian is going to get some money. That’s for sure,” Rivers told reporters after the team’s win over the Mavericks. “And a ring.”
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 on track to take first place in the East for the second straight All-Star break.
Normally, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla would have been granted the opportunity to coach the Eastern All-Stars by virtue of Boston’s best conference record. However, the 35-year-old led the event last season amid the Celtics’ torrid start, so he couldn’t be chosen for the honor in consecutive years.
That opened the door for the coaching job to go to any team ranked as the second seed in the East starting Sunday, February 4. The Bucks finally fended off stiff competition from the Cavaliers and Knicks to clinch that honor on Saturday.
Rivers is well aware that he was lucky to get the job, and even proposed a rule change that the NBA could implement if they wanted to replace him in that role.
“You know, it’s one of those quirky things,” Rivers said. “I think there should be a rule somehow that someone other than me does it. Maybe I send my staff and go on vacation.”
For now, it appears the new Bucks boss will officiate all 10 games before traveling to Indianapolis as part of the league’s All-Star festivities.
