Chris Paul bites lip after controversial tech late in loss to Wolves

Almost a year to the day after he was called for a questionable technical foul in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul found himself in a similar situation Wednesday night with the same referee.

Paul was whistled for a tech in the final minute of Los Angeles' contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which helped seal a 108-102 Clippers loss. Like last year, the call from ref Lauren Holtkamp was heavily criticized; unlike last year, Paul was more careful with his words after the game.

"The league got my money already," Paul told reporters Wednesday, according to ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz. "I got kids in private school."

The NBA fined Paul $25,000 for his comments after his run-in with Holtkamp during the Clippers' Feb. 5, 2015 contest against the Cavs.

"The tech I got was ridiculous," Paul said back then. "That's terrible. There's no way that can be a technical. We try to get the ball out fast every time down the court. When we did that, she said, 'Uh-uh.' I said, 'Why uh-uh?' and she gave me a technical. That's ridiculous. If that's the case, this might not be for her."

At the time, some construed Paul's remarks to be condescending to Holtkamp's gender, something both he and the National Basketball Players' Association vehemently denied.

Paul shouldered more of the blame for Wednesday's tech on himself.

"You cannot get techs in the fourth quarter," he said. "Regardless of the situation, I have to do a better job of not putting it in the hands of them to make a call like that. So that's on me."

Holtkamp's call appeared to stem from excessive hand clapping after J.J. Redick intentionally fouled Ricky Rubio with the Clippers trailing by two.

"Overt clap," is how Clippers coach Doc Rivers said the call was explained to him. "That was the explanation. Overt clap."