Los Angeles Clippers irked because refs’ decision cost them chance at win in overtime

The Los Angeles Clippers said that refs decision cost them a chance to win in first overtime in Boston.

Per ESPN, But after saying they saw one official count what they thought was a Williams 3-point shot with the foul with 23.6 seconds left in the first overtime Thursday night, the Clippers watched the officiating crew quickly rule that Williams was fouled by Gordon Hayward before the shot with the Boston Celtics holding a 127-124 lead. The Clippers would eventually force a second overtime before Boston went on to win, 141-133, at the TD Garden.

“I thought the one call was huge, the no four-point play,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “I don’t know what you have to do — that’s a shot. The officials are telling us that they had a foul to give so they were trying to foul. When you see the film, they clearly were not trying to foul. You can see Hayward bring his hands back up as the guy is going up. But you can anticipate that they’re going to commit a foul. … That was a big no-call.”

“That’s a bad call, man,” said forward Montrezl Harrell, who had 24 points and 13 rebounds. “That’s not trying to say anything to get fined or anything like that, but we was in the huddle and we said they had a foul to give and if you get the ball in the shooting motion, go straight up, and that’s what Lou did. Tried to trap him at first and he started shooting the motion, [Hayward] stuck his hand out, that’s a four-point play, man, all day long.”