Doc Rivers fined $25K for criticizing refs after Game 5 loss

Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers had to know this was coming.

The veteran coach has been fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing the officiating following Tuesday's Game 5 loss against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers, who now head back to San Antonio facing elimination, were on the wrong end of a few close calls in Game 5, the most questionable of which saw Chris Paul assessed a technical foul in the fourth quarter for tossing the ball back to the official too roughly after a Spurs basket.

A potential go-ahead basket by DeAndre Jordan with four seconds remaining in the fourth was also called back due to offensive basket interference, although in that case, video replay deemed it the correct call.

This is Rivers' 12th fine as a head coach, and eighth fine related to criticizing or verbally abusing officials. In all, the 53-year-old has been fined over $211,000 in his coaching career.