Fitch Gets Heave-Ho, but Clippers Get Win

Bill Fitch wasn’t around to see his Clippers rally to beat the Golden State Warriors, 107-102, Tuesday night.

The Clipper coach was ejected with 5:19 left in the first quarter after getting two quick technical fouls from referee Ted Bernhardt.

“I was cursing and that’s why I was tossed, but he was guilty of making calls that one Irishman doesn’t make to another Irishman on St. Patrick’s Day,” said Fitch, who was upset over a technical called on Clipper center Isaac Austin.

Assistant coach Jim Brewer filled in for Fitch, and saw Rodney Rogers make a three-point basket with 20 seconds left to put the Clippers up for good, 103-102.

“It was one of those shots where a coach thinks to himself as it’s taken, ‘No, no, no . . . Yes!’ ” Brewer said.

Rogers scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

“We had to go for the win,” he said. “But if I would have missed it, it would have all been on my shoulders.”

The Clippers (15-50) have won five in a row over the Warriors (14-51), who have the NBA’s second-worst record behind Denver (8-59).

“If you want to outscore a team, the Clippers are better at that than we are,” Warrior Coach P.J. Carlesimo said.

“The way we have to beat Toronto and the Clippers is through defense. We can’t outscore them.”

Clarence Weatherspoon’s bank shot with 34.7 seconds left gave the Warriors a 102-100 lead, but Rogers countered with a three-point basket to put the Clippers up 103-102.

The Warriors threw away two passes and missed a shot on their final three possessions, and the Clippers made four free throws in the final 13 seconds to seal the victory.

Donyell Marshall tied a season high with 28 points for Golden State, while Erick Dampier added 17 points and 12 assists.

The Clippers led, 83-78, after three quarters, but the Warriors scored the first six points of the fourth to go up 84-83 on Jimmy Jackson’s two free throws.

The Warriors led, 97-93, before the Clippers scored five consecutive points, taking a 98-97 lead on Eric Piatkowski’s layup with 3:46 remaining.