Doc Rivers Exits Bucks vs. 76ers amid Illness, Darvin Ham Takes over as Coach

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers had to leave the bench and go to the locker room during the first half of Thursday's contest against the Philadelphia 76ers while dealing with an illness, per The Athletic's Eric Nehm.

Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham took over for Rivers, explaining the issue after the game:

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Rivers was watching the game from the Bucks' locker room. Milwaukee led Philadelphia 61-59 at the half and eventually won 126-113.

Rivers is in his second season with Milwaukee after taking over for the Bucks midseason last year following Adrian Griffin's firing. His first season ended with a first-round playoff exit to the Indiana Pacers.

While Milwaukee hopes to get its head coach back on the court as soon as possible, the Bucks at least have someone with head coaching experience in Ham.

Ham was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers head coach for two seasons, leading the team to a Western Conference Finals in 2023 before being fired following last year's first-round exit.

Amid Rivers' exit, the Bucks are still looking to clinch a top-six seed and avoid the play-in tournament. Milwaukee is currently sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference at 41-34, half a game behind the Detroit Pistons and five games ahead of the No. 7-seeded Orlando Magic.

The Bucks can clinch at least a top-seven seed in the playoffs with a win on Thursday, plus losses from the Magic and Miami Heat.