Doc Rivers Told His Players They Failed Him, Then Got Fired | Apr 14, 2026

Show Notes

Doc Rivers was fired by the Bucks after reportedly telling players they "failed him," likely signaling the end of Giannis in Milwaukee. The NBA play-in tournament tips off tonight, with the playoff bracket set and intriguing matchups ahead. Also covered: the A.J. Brown trade saga and NFL draft buzz around Fernando Mendoza.

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Doc Rivers told his own players they failed him — and then got shown the door. That's not coaching. That's a breakup text you send before the other person can dump you first.

Welcome to The Sports Hangover Daily, I'm Michael Benatar.

Alright, let's get into it. Doc Rivers is out in Milwaukee. And look — this was inevitable, but the way it ended? Chef's kiss levels of messy. The Bucks went thirty-two and fifty this year. Giannis played fewer than forty games for the first time in his career. And instead of falling on his sword, Doc reportedly told his veteran players in a private meeting that they "failed him." One vet's response? "That's when I checked out on this season." I mean, that tells you everything you need to know. Doc went ninety-seven and one oh three in two and a half seasons with this team. He's got one year left on a forty million dollar deal Milwaukee's still gonna pay. There's even talk of moving him into a front office role, which — sure, why not reward the guy who just cratered a franchise. Here's what actually matters though. This is almost certainly the end of Giannis in Milwaukee. He publicly complained about the team not letting him play through injuries, the players' union got involved, and the trade deadline came and went without any moves. Nine straight playoff appearances — gone. The Bucks went from contenders to a full-blown disaster in what feels like eighteen months. And Doc's career coaching record? Twelve hundred wins, sixth all-time. Which sounds impressive until you remember he's been fired by three different franchises now. At some point, the common denominator is the common denominator.

The NBA play-in tournament kicks off tonight, and we've got two games on Prime Video. First up, Heat at Hornets at seven thirty Eastern — that's nine versus ten in the East, win or go home. Then at ten, Trail Blazers at Suns out West, seven versus eight, winner locks in a playoff spot. Wednesday we get Sixers-Magic and Clippers-Warriors. Should be a fun couple nights.
The bigger picture though — the playoff bracket is SET, and there are some juicy matchups. Lakers and Rockets in the first round out West, which means LeBron versus KD in the playoffs for the first time since the twenty-eighteen Finals. That feels like it deserves its own documentary. Denver's the three seed and they're rolling in as the hottest team in basketball — twelve-plus game win streak heading into the postseason. Only the third team in seventy-five years to do that. And Jokić became the first player to lead the league in both assists and rebounds per game in a single season. The man is just doing things nobody's ever done, casually, like he's playing pickup at the Y. Detroit finished with the best record in the East, OKC's the one seed out West again, and honestly? Both of those teams feel like they're built for long runs.
On the final day of the regular season, Houston smoked Memphis one thirty-two to one oh one. Clint Capela went off for a season-high twenty-three points and thirteen boards. The Rockets have won ten of their last eleven — they're not gonna be a fun first-round matchup for anybody. Cleveland closed things out with a win over Washington, one thirty and one seventeen. And in a game that didn't matter in the standings but was fun as hell, the Wolves beat the Pelicans one thirty-two to one twenty-six. Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears dropped thirty-six, ten, and five in a loss. That kid is gonna be a problem.
Switching to the NFL — the A.J. Brown saga is still simmering. Patriots executive VP Eliot Wolf said Monday they'll "keep the door open" for Brown or anyone else who improves the roster. Schefter says don't expect anything in the next couple weeks, but a deal's still possible. Brown's got his list of preferred destinations — Pats, Chargers, Bills, Chiefs. Philly already traded for Dontayvion Wicks from Green Bay, which feels like a contingency plan. The big holdup is the cap hit — if Philly trades Brown before June first, it's a forty-three million dollar dead cap hit. After June first, that drops to sixteen point four million. So we're probably playing the waiting game here.
The Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers. He's a free agent after his one-year deal in Pittsburgh, and the team wants an answer before the draft on April twenty-third. The Mike McCarthy hire — Rodgers' old coach in Green Bay — feels like it was designed specifically to lure him back. Speaking of that coaching change, Jaylen Warren said he was "hurt" by Tomlin stepping down but appreciates McCarthy's energy so far.
And quick NHL note — Macklin Celebrini scored twice in the third period, including an empty-netter, to give San Jose a three to two win over Nashville. That's forty-four goals on the season for the kid. His thirtieth multi-point game ties him with Patrick Marleau for second-most by a Shark in a single season. He's twenty years old. That franchise has its guy.

Here's my Hangover Take. Fernando Mendoza is gonna be the number one pick in the draft. Everyone knows it. He knows it. The Raiders know it. He's not even going to Pittsburgh — he's watching with his family in Miami. And I think that's the last time we're gonna see a consensus number one quarterback prospect for a while. Look at the way teams are building now. The Patriots might trade for A.J. Brown instead of drafting a receiver. The Cowboys are reportedly trying to trade UP to three. The Jets are agonizing over the second pick. Every team behind the Raiders is scrambling because they know — once Mendoza's off the board, there's no clear-cut franchise-altering pick left. This draft is gonna be chaos from pick two on, and I am here for every second of it.

That's your hangover. Go hydrate. I'll see you tomorrow.