Doc Rivers Ejected Over “Awful Call”

Rivers had to be held back by players and assistant coaches after he was ejected in the first of two overtimes during the team’s 127-122 loss to the Brooklyn Netson Tuesday.With 18.6 seconds left in the first overtime and the Clippers trailing 117-115, Rivers walked past midcourt, almost to the Nets’ bench, to argue a foul called by official Lauren Holtkamp.

Rivers was whistled for a technical foul and then handed a second technical and an automatic ejection by lead official Ken Mauer, which set Rivers off.

“I thought it was an awful tech,” Rivers said after the Clippers lost for a third straight time on the road.

“Honestly, I think you guys know why the tech was called,” Rivers continued. “The official who had nothing to do with the play thought I was yelling at Lauren, and I wasn’t. Actually, she said, ‘Doc, you’re right,’ or whatever, ‘Let’s walk back.’ We were walking. We weren’t even arguing. So it was the damnedest tech to give at that time.

“What the league is going to do, they’re going to fall back on, ‘He crossed half court.’ You’ll see tomorrow, that’s what they’re going to say. And we’re going to all know that’s not the real reason. I don’t think an official that has nothing to do with the play should be giving someone a tech. That’s my thing. That’s why I got upset. He didn’t even know what we were talking about. It wasn’t even an argument. But listen, that had nothing to do with the game, and that’s not why we lost the game.”

Mauer explained to a pool reporter that Rivers earned the first technical foul for “crossing over midcourt. That’s automatic.” Mauer then said the second technical came because of Rivers’ “behavior.”

“Do I need to explain it to you?” Mauer said. “Watch the tape. Behavior, language warrants a second technical foul. Warranted an ejection after getting a first technical foul.”