Doc Rivers has admitted that he "felt bad" for his players after they threw away a potentially series-clinching lead in game six of their Western Conference semi-finals against the Houston Rockets.
The Los Angeles Clippers knew that victory would send them through to the Western Conference finals, but they let a 19-point advantage slip to lose 119-107.
Ahead of tonight's series-deciding meeting in Houston, the coach told NBA.com: "I think there's probably a plethora of emotions when something like this happens.
"You know, I felt bad for them, honestly. Because they want it so bad and sometimes you want stuff so bad that you can't get it because you're in your own way, and I thought we clearly got in our own way.
"What could have went wrong went wrong. We did get some great shots and we missed wide-open threes, layups, dunks and [with] each miss, I thought the pressure mounted."
The winner of game seven will face the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals.
Sian Cowper
