Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes expressed his frustration on Twitter about his ejection on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He implied the Clippers were soft and vowed never again to stand up for his teammates.
Clippers star Blake Griffin and Thunder forward Serge Ibaka locked arms after they both went for a rebound. Ibaka appeared to push Griffin, prompting Barnes to retaliate and shove Ibaka back. Barnes and Ibaka, who at one point cocked his fist, had to be separated; both players were ejected with 6.2 seconds left in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, Barnes vented his frustration with the Clippers on Twitter.
"I love my teammates like family, but I'm DONE standing up for these n---as! All this s--- does is cost me money," Barnes tweeted.
The tweet was later deleted.
Although Barnes didn't call anyone out by name, it's not a stretch to assume he was referring to Griffin, who's toughness has been questioned before.
Barnes has a history of getting physical on the court. He's been suspended four times since 2008 for physical altercations, according to ESPN. His last suspension came in February when he hit then-Minnesota Timberwolves center Greg Stiemsma in the neck.
Despite his history, Barnes' coach and teammates stood up for him after the game.
"I think he's very emotional and down that he got thrown out," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said of Barnes' tweet, via ESPN. "I get that part but the choice of words obviously, that's not a word I'm a fan of in all venues."
Clippers forward Jared Dudley admitted the team needs to get tougher.
"He's a really tough guy and sometimes he wants that [from] everybody," said Dudley. "It goes both ways. We've got to be a little bit tougher, and he's got to be a little bit smarter."
