An Eastern Conference finals berth might not be the only thing on the line when the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 on Sunday.
Rumblings in league coaching circles indicate that Sixers head coach Brett Brown "needs an NBA Finals berth to keep his job" and "has little chance of surviving a second-round exit," Marc Stein of The New York Times reports.
The 58-year-old was hired in 2013 after nine seasons as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. Brown guided Philadelphia from The Process to its first playoff appearance in six years during the 2017-18 season. He was subsequently rewarded with a contract extension through the 2021-22 campaign.
Brown holds a 178-314 record across his six-year tenure as the Sixers' bench boss. Philadelphia hasn't advanced past the second round of the NBA playoffs since making The Finals in 2001.
