Clippers coach Doc Rivers fined $25,000 for ripping refs

The Los Angeles Clippers are on the brink of elimination to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The NBA fined Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers $25,000 for criticizing officials following the Clippers' 105-104 Game 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the league announced.

Rivers said after the game in a press conference that his team was "robbed" of the win after a call went in favor of Oklahoma City with 11.3 seconds left in the game. He also called it a "series-defining play."

"We did a lot of stuff to lose the game ourselves,” Rivers said after the game. “But at the end of the day, we have a replay system that you’re supposed to look at. I don’t want to hear that they didn’t have that replay. That’s a bunch of crap. … That’s a bunch of crap, and y’all know it. … We made a comedy of errors. Having said that, we still have the right to win the game if the [call] says it’s our ball. That’s too bad. … That could be a series-defining call. And that’s not right.”

The NBA said the officials made the right call when the ball went out-of-bounds off Thunder guard Reggie Jackson but the Thunder were awarded possession after a video review. While the replay showed the ball last touching Jackson, it also appeared to show Jackson being fouled by Matt Barnes. However, fouls are not subject to review.

"Since no replay provided such evidence, the play correctly stood as called with the Thunder retaining possession,"  the league said.

The Thunder lead the best-of-seven series three games to two. Game 6 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.

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