Doc Rivers Remains Frustrated With Sixers' Scheduling

When the NBA decided to go through with putting together a condensed schedule for the 2020-2021 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, every team knew that it could get tiring and complicated as the season goes on.

When the Philadelphia 76ers saw how grueling their second-half schedule is, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn't shy away from expressing how disappointed he was after seeing the plans for his team.

"Right when schedules come out, you look at schedules, and then you compare them," Rivers said last month. "When I saw this home game against Phoenix and then Milwaukee, what you do immediately you look to see what Milwaukee is doing. 

"Then when you find out they have like three days off, this is a scheduled loss. We're going to have to be superhuman to come in here. It's just disappointing when I saw it, because to me, what it told me is they didn't think we would be where we would be. That was my first thought. It is what it is, we got to suck it up, and we'll be ready."

Those comments came two weeks ago as the Sixers took on four-straight losses. Now that the 76ers are currently in the midst of a four-game win streak, you would think Rivers' mood would improve. That's not the case.

On Sunday night, the Sixers played on the road in San Antonio. Following an overtime win over the Spurs, the Sixers had to board a plane immediately so they could get to Chicago to face the Bulls less than 24 hours after Sunday night's conclusion.

Then, after Monday's matchup against Chicago, the Sixers will once again hit the road and head right back to Texas so they can face the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. A day off on Tuesday will certainly be beneficial, but the way everything was scheduled for the 76ers in this three-game sequence is a head-scratcher.

"It's the worst scheduling of the year," said Rivers on Sunday. "We are 45 minutes from Houston, and we're going to fly to Chicago and play Chicago, then fly back to Houston. It makes no sense, but it is what it is. I'm sure every team has had one of these, or two of these during the year, and we're just going to have to buck up and win the game anyway."

The Sixers have a quick turnaround on Monday night as they're set to tip-off against the Chicago Bulls at 9 PM EST. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.