Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin called out the the Golden State Warriors for playing “cowardly basketball” after his ejection in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Christmas nighs game.
Griffin was angry after he was whistled for his second technical of the game when he became entangled with Golden State forward Andrew Bogut in the lane and tried to pull away with 10:43 left.
“Instead of just playing straight up and playing a game, it got into something more than that, and it’s unfortunate because you want to play a team head-to-head,” Griffin said. “You don’t want to start playing other games and playing cowardly basketball.”
The NBA announced in a statement on Thursday that the game officials erred in ejecting Griffin.
“After a league review of the Clippers-Warriors game, we have come to the conclusion that Blake Griffin should not have been ejected from the game,” NBA vice president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said. “A common foul should have been called on Griffin for initially attempting to dislodge the Warriors’ Andrew Bogut and a technical foul should have been assessed to Bogut for grabbing Griffin by the shirt and wrestling with him.”
The Warriors trailed after three quarters but rallied for a 105-103 win over the Clippers.
Griffin was called for his first technical of the night at the end of the third quarter when he spoke to Warriors forward Draymond Green about being elbowed. Green was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul.
“If you look at it, I didn’t do anything and I got thrown out of the game,” Griffin said of the run-in with Bogut. “It all boils down to they (referees) fell for it. To me, that’s cowardly. That’s cowardly basketball.”
Clippers coach Doc Rivers stood by Griffin.
“Honestly, I thought we were just kicking their butts and they went to something else, to be honest,” Rivers said. “But that’s fine.”
Warriors coach Mark Jackson chose to stay out of the fray.
“We like them. Merry Christmas,” he said.
Bucks’ Sanders close to return
Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders is expected to return to action on Friday night for a game against the Brooklyn Nets after missing more than a month with an injured thumb.
The Bucks, who have the worse record in the Eastern Conference at 6-22, list Sanders as probable after he practiced with the team on Thursday. He suffered a torn ligament in the thumb in mid-November during an altercation at a nightclub.
Sanders has played in only three games this season and is averaging 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.
The 25-year-old signed an $44 million contract extension last summer.
Pistons move Mitchell, Siva to D-League
The Detroit Pistons sent rookie forward Tony Mitchell and rookie guard Peyton Siva to Fort Wayne of the NBA Development League on Thursday.
Mitchell averaged 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10 games this season with the Pistons.
Siva, a member of Louisville’s NCAA championship team last season, played in 13 games for Detroit and averaged 0.3 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists.