Doc Rivers might as well have brought his checkbook into the post-game press conference after a controversial call was one of many reasons (most self inflicted by the Clippers) that Los Angeles blew a seven-point lead in the final minutes of Game 5. Rivers was livid at the call, pounding the table and venting his point. Here are a few highlights.
“That was our ball. We got robbed.”
“That’s a bunch of crap and y’all know it.”
“That was a brutal call and it cost us the game.”
“That’s a game defining, and possibly series-defining call.”
Thursday the league responded as it had to with a $25,000 fine for Rivers criticism of the official, which was announced by the league Thursday.
It’s not that Rivers was wrong — I think he makes a very valid point, to call the videos seen “inconclusive” as the officiating crew did is disingenuous at best — but the league always fines for criticism of the officials. Even in cases where the league admitted the call was wrong they fined (and in this case they didn’t admit it was wrong).
Rivers knew a fine was coming when he went on his rant.
But if that gets through to the officials and he gets a couple calls in a close Game 6 Thursday he will take it.
