The LA Clippers fell in their last game to the Utah Jazz, 107-126. The back and forth game for most of the night got away from the Clippers on two big Jazz runs. The first game in the third quarter, when Utah went on a 13-2 run, and it was followed up by a game-changing 21-4 run in the fourth quarter that sent fans packing early.
Those fans who left early, however, missed a heated exchange between a courtside fan and Clippers’ guard Austin Rivers late in the fourth quarter. Just as he was being subbed out with the game out of
“He was being a fairweather a** fan,” said Rivers. “He was talking sh** about the team, but he was cheering the first half. And then the second half he was talking about Steve Ballmer and Doc and DJ and saying demeaning stuff to my other teammates. Austin and DJ, y’all need help. I don’t like that. I like fans who ride or die with you, and there’s a lot of good ones here that show up to the game.
“He was talking shit about the team, not even me.”
Rivers may have let the loss and what the fan said get the best of him. He finished with a solid line of 25 points, six assists, and a steal on 9-16 shooting from the field, but was held scoreless in the final 20 minutes of the game as the Jazz elected to trap him hard on pick-and-rolls, forcing him to kick it out and other Clippers players to create offense instead.
“I went up after the game and apologized to the guy cuz at the end of the day, I’m the professional, he’s not. We shook hands and said my bad.”
River said after the apologies and handshaking, the fan pulled him in for a hug.
The Clippers will now hit the road for a quick back-to-back this weekend against the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves before returning him to take on the Timberwolves again next Wednesday night.