A dustup on the Knicks bench between RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin wanted to be separated by Tom Thibodeau, who downplayed the incident as a standard product of aggressive spirit.
“The cameras are all over the place. It most likely occurs greater than individuals notice,” Thibodeau talked about. “Warmth of the second. It dissipated instantly. If there’s a flare-up, go discuss to one another. After they walked out collectively [on the court], I knew they had been high quality. And simply transfer on. Win the sport. When everybody desires to win, typically there’s a distinction of opinion. Simply put the crew first and that’s what they did.”
TV cameras caught the tense change between teammates all through a third-quarter timeout. It appeared Barrett was angered by one factor Toppin talked about and stood as a lot as go at his teammate. Barrett was pulled away from the scene by assistant coach Johnnie Bryant.
Toppin and Barrett posed for images collectively throughout the locker room postgame to show it was water beneath the bridge.
“We’re good. We see one another mainly on daily basis,” Barrett talked about. “You inform me that you simply haven’t had an argument with a member of the family earlier than. You realize what I’m saying? You had an argument with a member of the family earlier than. That was all it was. Proper after the timeout we squashed it. I feel he scored six straight factors after that, so one thing labored.”
Nonetheless, Barrett didn’t want to disclose what Toppin talked about to set him off. The Knicks had been beating the Cavs by three components when the incident occurred. They in the end obtained, 130-116, although Toppin sat on your full fourth quarter.
“That’s my brother,” Toppin talked about of Barrett.
It was Toppin’s first start of the season, the outcomes of Julius Randle struggling a sprained ankle Wednesday. He accomplished with 12 components in 19 minutes.
The second of anger was uncharacteristic from Barrett, who has merely eight techs in his occupation. Earlier throughout the season, Toppin acquired proper right into a heated argument with assistant coach Rick Brunson.
Toppin had moreover brushed aside that incident, nonetheless it’s moreover clear he’s been pissed off by a shortage of having fun with time this season.
“Each time my identify known as, I’m prepared,” Toppin talked about. “I’ll simply do regardless of the crew wants me to do to win.”
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