Doc Rivers denies Clippers purposely provoked Mavs in Game 1

Getting under the Dallas Mavericks' skin was not an intentional strategy deployed by Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers.

Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis was controversially ejected from Monday's series opener after picking up a second technical foul in the third quarter. The ejection, which drew widespread criticism on social media, including from LeBron James, was the result of a minor altercation with Clippers big man Marcus Morris.

Rivers said he never planned to get any opposing players kicked out, but admitted there are provocative personalities on his roster.

"I think we have some guys who are agitators," Rivers said, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I think that's good. But I can guarantee you that (provoking) wasn't on our game-plan list. That's just ridiculous. (There was nobody saying) 'OK, let's get him thrown out.' I didn't like (the ejection) actually."

Porzingis stepped in to defend Luka Doncic, who had taken exception with Morris wrapping him up in the paint. After video review, the referees assessed Morris and Porzingis double technicals.

Porzingis, who picked up his first technical foul in the second quarter, was then tossed. The Mavericks went on to lose 118-110 without him. After the game, the Latvian forward suggested the Clippers were plotting to get him ejected.

"They provoked us and especially me, I should have been smarter," he said. "I already had the technical, which I kind of didn't really have in my mind. I hadn't been in that situation (before), really. And that was smart of (Morris) to kind of grab Luka and get into his face and get a reaction out of me. And, yeah, they got what they were looking for, basically."

Porzingis finished the night with 14 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes.

Rivers argued Porzingis didn't need to step in to defend Doncic.

"No offense on the Porzingis throw-out," the 58-year-old said. "That wasn't enough for anyone else to get involved. There was nothing there. Marcus and Doncic really were having a conversation.

"For him to come into that, to me it had to be something else earlier, that him and Marcus got into. There was not enough for him to run in and be the peacemaker. There was no war going on."

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday.