Doc Rivers Blows Gasket, Clippers Blow Game

On a cold, dreary, rain-sodden Tuesday night in Brooklyn, the 14-4 Clippers took on the 4-12 Nets, losers of seven games in a row while giving up 110-plus points per game in the process. It was a well-fought contest and—WHO CARES, GET TO THE NAPALM!

With 19.9 left in the first overtime, the Nets were up 117-115 and in-bounding the ball. The Clips tried to run a trap and got a whistle. It wasn't a hard foul, but there was definitely contact to the chest. Doc Rivers didn't agree and whined, in typical full "What the hell?" Doc fashion, to referee Lauren Holtkamp. In so doing, as crew chief Ken Mauer noted afterward, he "crossed over midcourt. That's automatic." Doc took umbrage with that call and proceeded to really go for it and got teed up a second time for the automatic heave-ho. Nit-picky at this point in the game? Absolutely. But 100 percent worth it to watch Doc go ballistic.

And also to hear Mauer get saucy after the game when asked about the second tech. "Do I need to explain it to you? Watch the tape. Behavior, language warrants a second technical foul. Warranted an ejection after getting a first technical foul."

Doc went nuts alright, old-school Earl Weaver–style: arms flailing, profanities spilling, spittle flying, a balletic display of man's top being blown off his head. Doc had to be restrained by DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick, some dude in a lovely off-white sweater, and everyone's old friend Big Balls Sam Cassell.

Props to Doc for still slapping a couple fans five on his way off the court. He was still pissed in the postgame presser, railing against the "awful" tech and giving not a single fuck about the $25,000 ding heading his way.

Worth noting: the 2OT 127-122 Nets upset is the game of the year in this young NBA campaign.

First, there was the end of regulation, when Chris Paul drilled a corner three off of a wicked veteran pump-fake to tie under two seconds.

The @LAClippers bench erupts as Chris Paul ties up the game with seconds remaining in the 4Q! #ItTakesEverything pic.twitter.com/7ECEQrV2Fa
— NBA (@NBA) November 30, 2016

Sean Kilpatrick, a 26-year-old former D-Leaguer who had a career night with 38 points and 20 in the fourth quarter, nearly ended it at the buzzer. The Nets' billionaire Russian owner does not approve [immediately calls Donald Trump, Prospect Heights is annexed to Crimea].

This is how close Sean Kilpatrick was to winning the game. pic.twitter.com/2enLTjrGkJ
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) November 30, 2016

After Doc got the boot, the Nets went all Nets and missed a bunch of the free throws, before uber-reserve cat Jamal Crawford did what he does. Double OT!

Jamal Crawford's 3 sends it into DOUBLE OT! #LeaguePassAlert pic.twitter.com/Fc6dTwKu2X
— NBA (@NBA) November 30, 2016

In the second frame, Kilpatrick alone outscored the Clippers 5-4, and Brooklyn called it a night.

We leave you with the play of the game, which actually came at the end of the first half.

Old man Paul Pierce missed a wide-open down-the-middle-of-the-lane dunk off a behind-the-back assist from Paul. He tumbled down, landed on his middle-age butt, and laughed it up like a dad who just got clowned by his teenage son and slipped in mud at the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl.

Noted humorist Chris Paul got in on the act as well, giving Pierce CPR chest compressions. All fun and games in November, but had this been June, CP3 would have pulled chloroform and a hankie out of his sock.