Grizzlies’ Fizdale fined $30K for rant

MEMPHIS, TENN. >> First-year Memphis coach David Fizdale knew the NBA would fine him for criticizing the officiating in the Grizzlies’ Game 2 loss to San Antonio.

Didn’t matter. This is the time to stand up — or go home. The Grizzlies trail the Spurs 0-2, and Memphis has no room for errors in any aspect of a game.

“Players in general and coaches pull this card a lot,” Fizdale said Wednesday. “I’m not sitting here acting like I’m any more original than any other coach. But you’re fighting for your team and you’re fighting for your life in the playoffs, and you just don’t have room to let things go into the next year.”

The NBA fined the Grizzlies coach $30,000 on Wednesday for Fizdale’s rant after Memphis’ 96-82 loss to San Antonio in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

Fizdale blasted the officiating in a nearly two-minute tirade during his postgame press conference Monday night. Fizdale called the work of veteran crew Danny Crawford, Rodney Mott and Bill Spooner “unprofessional” and “unacceptable” in a postgame interview that grew increasingly louder before he slammed his fist on a table and stormed off.

The trio of Crawford, Spooner and Mott have officiated more than 400 playoff games, but Fizdale was irate with their performance with Kawhi Leonard taking more free throws (19) than all his Grizzlies (15) despite Memphis attempting 17 more shots in the paint than San Antonio.

Thomas: Days since sister died hardest of my life

BOSTON >> Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas says the days since his younger sister was killed in a car crash have been the hardest of his life. He’s also expressing thanks for the support he has received around the NBA.

Thomas’ comments, released in a team statement Wednesday, are his first public ones since 22-year-old Chyna Thomas died in a crash early Saturday outside of Tacoma, Washington. The All-Star guard says the pain he is feeling “is impossible to put into words,” though he expressed gratitude to his fans, the city of Boston, the Celtics organization and the NBA community.