Doc Rivers went at the referees after the Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies over a call that potentially changed the game.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night in a game that ended 117-109. Joel Embiid nearly had a huge triple-double, ending the game with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Even without James Harden, the Sixers played quite well, and the loss was undoubtedly a frustrating one for the team.
Doc Rivers is a Head Coach that has come under quite a bit of scrutiny in recent years. His Los Angeles Clippers teams didn't achieve as much as they should have. Ever since he joined the Philadelphia 76ers, even their playoff results are not been what many would have hoped for. But Doc does what he does without worrying about all that; he is as straightforward as they come.
So when the referees during the Grizzlies game missed an out-of-bounds call off of Ja Morant, Rivers wanted to challenge it. And when he couldn't, he grew livid, eventually going off at the refs after the game.
Doc Rivers Blasted The Referees Over A Wrong Call In The Grizzlies-Sixers Game
With just under 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Grizzlies led by 8, and the Sixers were very much still in the game. The ball went out off of Ja Morant after he got challenged attempting a layup. The referees missed it, and Rivers tried to challenge, but he wasn't allowed to.
Doc Rivers was gesturing that he would like to challenge the call; it's evident in the clip. However, he didn't get it, and the Grizzlies went on to make it 111-101 and never looked back. Rivers was naturally furious and blasted the refs after the game.
“I didn’t call it quick enough,” Rivers continued. “It doesn’t matter. Once you call a timeout, it’s a challenge so I don’t… you just can’t make up rules on the fly. And that’s what I felt they were doing. That should never happen. That should never happen.”
These are harsh words from Doc, and they might likely earn him a fine from the league. Altercations with officials have been occurring quite a bit this season, with Spencer Dinwiddie speaking out about his unpleasant Tony Brothers experience earlier in the season. Hopefully, the kinks get ironed out. It is simply no fun to watch teams lose games, thanks to officiating errors and inconsistencies.
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