Doc Rivers, Rajon Rondo fire back at Dwyane Wade’s ‘punk play’ jab

Celtics coach Doc Rivers and guard Rajon Rondo disagreed with Dwyane Wade’s calling Rondo’s flagrant foul in Tuesday’s season-opener a “punk play.”

Rondo was called for a flagrant foul 1 after hooking Wade around the neck and shoulder as the Heat star drove to the basket in Miami’s 120-107 win.

“I got my kids watching so I stopped myself but it was a punk play by him,” said Wade, via ESPN. “He clotheslined me.”

Appearing Thursday on Boston sports radio WEEI, Rivers noted that Wade has “given a lot of hard fouls” in his career and pointed out that Rondo’s gruesome elbow injury during the 2011 playoffs was “created by Dwyane Wade.”

Added Rivers: “I don’t think [Rondo's flagrant] was a ‘punk’ move unless [Wade's foul] was, too.”

At practice on Thursday, Rondo said Wade added some drama to help draw a flagrant call on a hard foul.

“I mean, I don’t think it was a hard foul,” said Rondo. “[Wade] sold it a little bit, and that’s basketball. They were up, he drove to the hole, I didn’t want to give up a layup. Simple as that. I didn’t yank him down, or dirty plays that you’ve seen him play in the past. So that’s what it is.”