Doc Rivers didn’t know he’s already had a sweep

The Philadelphia 76ers are the first NBA team to advance to the second round of the playoffs after finishing off a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The Sixers were without their star Joel Embiid, who suffered a knee sprain in Game 3, but it didn’t matter. They were able to get a 96-88 win with Tobias Harris leading the team with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Rivers recognizes difficulty of a sweep

This was the 76ers first sweep since 1991 and the first four-game sweep since 1985. Head coach Doc Rivers knows how difficult of an achievement it is to get a sweep. In fact, he was pretty sure he had never achieved a sweep himself until a reporter told him that in fact, he had.

“I have had one? Wow,” Rivers laughed as he discovered this new information about himself. “I didn’t know that. I lied to the guys, I told them that this was my first sweep!”

With Embiid out of the lineup, the Sixers counted on Paul Reed, who put up 10 points and 15 rebounds in the Game 4 win. After Harris’ 25, it was James Harden putting up points with 17 total and 11 assists. With Embiid, the Sixers have a superstar. But even without him, they are 12-5, proving that the whole team is a force.

“It’s hard beating anybody four times. It’s hard winning four times in a row at any point of the season,” Rivers said. “And then winning four times in a row against the same team, that gets to watch you every game, it’s just hard. I’m just really proud of all our guys.”

In the Conference semifinals, the 76ers will face the winner of the Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks series. The Celtics currently lead the series 3-1 with the next game to be held on Tuesday, April 26.