Milwaukee Bucks Make Doc Rivers Announcement vs Sixers

Darvin Ham is taking over for Doc Rivers on Thursday night.

Apr 1, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers calls a play in the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, the visiting team’s head coach, Doc Rivers, went back to the locker room early on.

It turns out that the head coach isn’t feeling well. Therefore, the Bucks announced that he would not return to the bench, leaving the lead assistant Darvin Ham to coach the team.

via @TimBontemps: The Bucks say Doc Rivers isn't feeling well, and is watching the game back in the locker room. Lead assistant Darvin Ham is coaching the team in his absence.

The Bucks say Doc Rivers isn't feeling well, and is watching the game back in the locker room.

Lead assistant Darvin Ham is coaching the team in his absence.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 3, 2025

Thursday’s game has been tight. Although the Sixers had a lead early on, the Bucks managed to get out in front and went into halftime while up 61-59.

Milwaukee was led by its star big man Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 20 points in 20 minutes of action. He’s already two assists and three rebounds shy of notching a triple-double before the start of the third quarter.

Without Rivers on Thursday, the Bucks are looking to extend a long winning streak against the Sixers. Heading into the matchup, Milwaukee hold a seven-game streak over Philadelphia. The last time the Sixers beat the Bucks was back on March 4, 2023, when Rivers was the head coach of the Sixers.

The Bucks are 41-31, looking to secure their spot in the NBA Playoffs without having to go through the NBA Play-In Tournament. Meanwhile, the Sixers are just a handful of games away from ending their season and looking forward to 2025-2026.