Bucks’ Doc Rivers named East coach for All-Star Sport

DALLAS — Along with his first win as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Doc Rivers punched his ticket to the All-Star Sport.

The Bucks’ 129-117 comeback victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night time clinched the dignity for Rivers and his employees, who will coach the Japanese Convention All-Stars in opposition to the West on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

It isn’t a distinction that Rivers, who’s 1-2 since being employed by Milwaukee on Jan. 26, claims he earned. He intends to offer his All-Star ring and bonus to Adrian Griffin, who went 30-13 because the Bucks coach earlier than being fired and changed by Rivers. Milwaukee went 2-1 throughout Joe Prunty’s interim stint.

“That’s ridiculously dangerous. It truly is,” Rivers mentioned of getting the All-Star nod after one win. “Properly, Adrian’s going to get some cash, that is for positive. And a hoop. It is certainly one of these quirky issues. I believe there needs to be a rule in some way that another person does it aside from me.”

Saturday’s triumph ensured that the 33-16 Bucks would have the East’s finest document by means of Feb. 4 amongst groups with coaches eligible for the All-Star duties. The Boston Celtics have the East’s finest document at 37-12, however Joe Mazzulla coached within the All-Star Sport final yr, making him ineligible this season.

So the excellence goes to Rivers after Milwaukee rallied from a 25-point deficit to defeat Dallas.

“He’ll coach the sport?” Bucks All-Star ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo mentioned, replying to a reporter’s query with bewilderment.

“That is fairly humorous,” mentioned Bucks All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who had 30 factors and eight assists within the win. “It undoubtedly wasn’t a dialog within the locker room.”

Antetokounmpo, who tallied 48 factors, 10 assists and 5 steals, identified that the Milwaukee assistant coaches had been deserving of the dignity.

“I am undoubtedly completely satisfied for them,” he mentioned. “It is a whole lot of exhausting work that paid off.”

This would be the fourth All-Star look for Rivers as a coach, beforehand doing so in 2008, 2011 and 2021. He’s the fifth particular person to teach within the All-Star Sport after taking on a staff through the season, which occurred most not too long ago when Tyronn Lue changed David Blatt with the Cleveland Cavaliers through the 2015-16 season.

“Possibly I will ship my employees and I will go on trip,” mentioned Rivers, who left his job as an ESPN analyst to affix the Bucks. “I will run that by Adam Silver. I believe Adam’s a superb man. I believe he’ll perceive.”