76ers reportedly hire former Raptors coach Nurse

Nick Nurse has found a new coaching job.

The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to hire former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Nurse led the Raptors to the franchise’s only title in 2019, but was fired on April 21, nine days after losing 109-105 to the Chicago Bulls in their play-in game.

He replaces Doc Rivers, who was fired after three seasons at the helm in Philadelphia on May 16, two days after the Sixers’ Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics to blow a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Nurse coached the Raptors for five seasons, amassing a 227-163 record for a .582 winning percentage – the best in franchise history.

He led Toronto to a pair of Atlantic Division titles, however, the team finished last this season with a 41-41 record to miss the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.

Led by 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid, the 76ers finished second in the Atlantic this season and third in the East but bowed out in the conference semis for the third year in a row.

This year’s ouster was the second time Philadelphia was eliminated with a Game 7 loss, in addition to 2021, when the top-seeded 76ers lost to the Hawks.

The loss marked Rivers’ 10th such defeat in a winner-take-all playoff game.