Rick Carlisle has appeared in 125 playoff games during his career as an NBA head coach. The majority of those games—63 of them—have come at the helm of the Dallas Mavericks. Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, Carlisle experienced a first in his long playoff history.
With 6:42 remaining in the third quarter and Tim Hardaway Jr. at the free throw line, Carlisle took umbrage with a call from the referees. He approached crew chief Kane Fitzgerald about it and became demonstrative. Moments later Fitzgerald tossed Carlisle, marking the first time in his career that he’s been ejected from a playoff game.