Matt Barnes Fined $50,000 for Inappropriate Language in Game 2 vs. Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes has been hit with a $50,000 fine after using inappropriate language that was directed at a fan during the team's Game 2 loss against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported the details of Barnes' fine from the NBA:
After the game, it was revealed the fan Barnes was yelling at was James Harden's mother, Monja Willis. Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reported the Rockets made the NBA aware of Barnes' actions, but the league declined comment at the time.
TMZ reported Thursday that Barnes did apologize to Willis, as she said her "older son walked over to him and told him to apologize...and he did."
Barnes has a history of verbal altercations with people in the stands. Earlier this year, he was fined $25,000 for a similar incident. He then tweeted about it after the NBA issued the punishment:
J.A. Adande of ESPN discussed the fine, noting that Barnes was fined twice as much as the Bulls' Joakim Noah, who pushed a fan:
With the incident now a thing of the past, Barnes, Harden, the Rockets and the Clippers can focus their attention on Game 3 in Los Angeles on Friday night. The two teams split the first two games in Houston, with Barnes playing a key role in the Clippers' Game 1 victory thanks to 20 points and five rebounds.
Barnes didn't fare as well in the Game 2 loss, not just because of the off-court incident. He had just six points and six rebounds in 34 minutes.
