Game 9: Los Angeles (5-3) vs Oklahoma City (5-1)

[mkwest]

Exclusive Matt Barnes Interview: I Own Up to What I Tweeted and It Wasn't Right

I have gotten into altercations with other guys that I'm friends with or that I'm cool with, and after the game we either shake hands or a phone call would take place. But I don't like Serge Ibaka, so I wouldn't apologize to him. That's just someone I don't like.

But I own up to what I tweeted, and it wasn't right. It was in the heat of the moment, and I really didn't think things fully through. As soon as I sent it, once I started driving home, I'm like, "That's probably not going to be too good."

My situation was really more out of frustration for the simple fact that I think sometimes my situations in basketball get blown out of proportion because of the reputation I've had in the past, and they really don't allow me to turn over a new leaf. I get suspended or I get kicked out of a game for pushing someone. But if I were Kevin Durant or Chris Paul, that wouldn't happen. My tweet was not directed at anyone; it was just directed out of frustration and just spur of the moment, not really thinking clearly.

Jared Zwerling, Bleacher Report

[mkwest]

Matt Barnes: Epithet OK in context

Griffin said he spoke with Barnes and didn't feel the tweet was intended for him and wanted to move past the issue when asked about it Friday.

"Matt apologized for whatever it was that he said and we're going to move on," Griffin said. "It's not something we're going to dwell on. We have games to win. As far as I'm concerned it's in the rearview mirror and I'm not looking back."

Barnes said he realized he made a mistake shortly after he sent the tweet and was driving home when he heard from his agents and some of his friends.

"Emotion takes over and you do and say things that you don't mean," Barnes said. "I realized the particular word I used was probably going to be blown out of proportion. I got a text from my agent and a text from couple of other people saying you need to take that down and I was already in the process of doing that.

"That was my biggest mistake. It was all out of emotion and frustration and out of the fact that Serge has history with this team. We don't like him and he doesn't like us. I should never have pushed him but the fact that I pushed him doesn't warrant an ejection. If Chris [Paul] would have pushed him, would that have been an ejection? If [Kevin Durant] had pushed him would that have been an ejection? You could answer that yourselves."

Arash Markazi, ESPN Los Angeles

BARNES DISCUSSES TWEET, FINE

“I apologized to my teammates,” Barnes said Friday, “because I think, obviously, the Tweet was bad timing, a bad choice of words, and most importantly it took away from the tremendous comeback they made in beating one of the best teams in the league.”

“The team loves Matt and he loves the team,” Rivers said. “This is a very close-knit group. I don’t think any of us took it [the wrong] way.”

Blake Griffin added, “Matt knows that we have his back. We’re going to move on. It’s not something we’re going to dwell on. We’ve got games to win.”

The Clippers did not practice Thursday, but Barnes said players reached out to him to show their collective support.

“My teammates as soon as the game was over I got calls from about eight or nine of them and texts from the rest of them,” Barnes said. “Everybody on this team is tight and united. What I said, some people tried to make it a dividing factor.”

Eric Patten, Clippers.com

[kylem4711]

Perkins is out. im not sure is this hurts of helps the thunder. i'm leaning towards this helping them.

Sup!

cracka was here for a short while in last game's game thread, and tonight you show up! are you two finally coming over for good?

Sup man!

this is my favorite clipper forum now. I dont know why, but i just dont post as much anymore. i might have to change that a bit and come here more.

[mttwlsn16]

Mendoza!!

[kylem4711]

Mendoza!!

hope that is an homage to rainier wolfcastle... ha