The LA Clippers successfully overcame the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 14th, despite head coach Tyronn Lue's ejection. LA trailed for most of the game and then frustration eventually boiled over early in the fourth quarter. After an altercation took place, Coach Lue approached the officials and appeared to have an animated conversation with them.
Whatever he said to the referees led to his second technical foul of the night, resulting in his ejection from the game. Later on, the frustrated head coach was filmed taking digs at the officials, saying that all they do is "cheat."
A clip of Lue's tirade was posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, and it drew plenty of reactions from NBA fans on the social media platform.
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The NBA fines players and coaches for criticizing the officiating in any game, and several fans joked that the league is about to fine the coach a hefty amount.
"$100,000 fine incoming," one user said, punctuating his tweet with a cry-laughing emoji.
Meanwhile, other fans were quick to point out that the Clippers shot more free throws than the Warriors.
"His team got 38 FTs to 18 for the Warriors what is he talking about?" One user tweeted.
Other fans simply took the time to praise the head coach for his intensity. While others expressed their desire for their team to have a coach like Lue.
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The Clippers pull off a comeback win after Tyronn Lue's ejection
With just under 9:40 to play and the Clippers trailing 103-94, Mason Plumlee fouled rookie Brandin Podziemski hard. When the dust eventually settled, Tyronn Lue was thrown out of the game, leaving his already undermanned team to battle the Warriors.
When play was resumed, LA started surging and finally began chipping away at the deficit. With a little over five-and-a-half minutes to go, the Clippers finally seized the lead after Norman Powell hit a corner three to break the tie. The 111-108 lead would be their first of the game since the first quarter.
However, the Warriors remained hot and gave the Clippers a tough battle down the stretch. This caused the lead to change hands several times. With thirty seconds to go, LA held a narrow three-point lead (128-125), and had possession. The Warriors were unable to get a stop and sent James Harden to the free-throw line, where he sank both his attempts to seal the game at 130-125.
The comeback effort was led by Harden's all-around effort. Scoring 26 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Paul George was also instrumental with his 24 points. Norman Powell also hit key three-pointers to keep LA within striking distance. He ended the night with 21 points on 5-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
On the other side, Steph Curry led the Warriors with 41 pts and Brandin Podziemski posted a career-high with 25.
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