The Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher fiasco is certainly far from over and finally, the two have crossed paths in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The two were on the same court Saturday night but stayed clear of each other. The Grizzlies won over the Knicks, 103–95, with Barnes in his best behavior, but it was more of the things he said before the actual game that drew the attention of the league.
The result was another hefty fine for Barnes, $35,000 to be exact. The actual comment that Barnes let out was: ''Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it is,'' via Fox Sports.
Unlike Barnes, Fisher has been mum on the October incident wherein he and the Knicks coach came to blows. Fisher is dating Barnes' ex-wife, Gloria Govan.
On Fisher's silence, Barnes takes it as a sign of guilt.
"Because he knows he's wrong. You know what I mean? And he already took one loss. So what's the point?" says Barnes.
With the latest fine, Barnes has now amassed a total of $99,409 in fines and lost salaries tied up with the incident between him and Fisher. The Memphis Grizzlies forward is trying hard, though, to keep himself composed since he is aware that any outburst on his end may cost him more and affect his team.
Barnes and Fisher will cross paths again on Feb. 7, but this time at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Barnes is likely to be thrown questions yet again regarding the incident which he may want to try and avoid. The more he talks translates to additional fines and lost wages. At the rate he is going, he may end up paying out more than actually earning his keep.
For its part, the NBA is simply making a stand that they are in no way tolerating anything associated with violence — even if they are just thrown verbally.
