A 88-71 defeat at the hands of a mediocre Phoenix Suns team apparently wasn't enough punishment for Doc Rivers following his ejection from the game late in the second quarter.
According to ESPN.com, the NBA has announced that the Celtics' coach will be fined $15,000 for failing to leave the court following his ejection.
During a timeout, Rivers' temper flared while arguing with referee Steve Javie, first receiving a technical foul and then earning an ejection after continuing his diatribe.
"[Javie] actually came into our huddle. We were standing there, he came up to us. I'll tell you exactly what was said. He said, 'You guys are complaining way too much.' And I said, 'Well, let's make the right calls.' And his answer back was, 'I'll make a call for you.' And that's how I got the tech," Rivers explained.
The coach, though, downplayed the incident.
"I didn't have any choice words for him," Rivers said. "I didn't say a word. I didn't even swear then. You know what I said? 'It's about the game. It's not about one individual.' That's all I said, over and over again. Whatever, it wasn't about that — why we lost the game. We didn't play well, I thought they played well. It happens."
Kevin Garnett was also ejected from the ugly loss, but the league has announced that he will not be fined for his actions during the game.
