Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and others move to restrain Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers, second from left, in overtime of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. Rivers argued a referee’s call for which he received a technical foul. Rivers objected to the technical and was ejected from the game for charging the referee. The Nets defeated the Clippers 127-122 in double overtime. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Thursday for verbally abusing a game official and failing to leaving the court in a timely manner after his ejection.
The incident happened with 18.6 remaining in the first overtime of the Clippers’ 127-122 double-overtime loss at Brooklyn on Tuesday night.
Rivers was given a technical foul for crossing over midcourt, then another and ejected.
The Clippers trailed by two late in the first OT and fouled Sean Kilpatrick in the backcourt after he received the inbounds pass. Rivers appeared to think Kilpatrick swung his elbows and should have been called for the foul, and walked nearly to the Nets’ bench to say something to referee Lauren Holtkamp.
Rivers said they weren’t even arguing, and that Holtkamp had agreed with what Rivers said. But referee Ken Mauer, who was standing on the Clippers’ side of the court, called what Rivers said was an “awful” tech.
