Matt Barnes, we’ve learned, is a player that has been known to hold a grudge when he feels he’s been wronged. The physical altercation between him and Derek Fisher that took place speaks to that, as you won’t see too many people drive 95 miles just to fight a coach.
So with the Warriors set to square off against the Kings tonight, we can assume there will be some sort of fireworks, or that Barnes has something up his sleeve.
Barnes has been averaging roughly 23 minutes per game over the past six games, as Golden State looks to get its players some much-needed rest whenever possible. And being that the Kings are an awful team, and the Warriors are a 17.5-point favorite in the game, we can assume that Barnes will see a lot of action, especially since he’s squaring off his former team. The coaching staff knows how much this game means to Barnes.
And it clearly does, check out what he had to say about it.
Matt Barnes on facing his former team, Sacramento: "I’m trying to kill 'em. Simple. Things didn’t go well there. They’re the enemy now."
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) March 23, 2017
We’re looking for Barnes to have a huge game tonight, and possibly have some sort of gesture up his sleeve as well. We’ll be watching, that’s for sure.
About Matt Birch
Matt manages all editorial operations for The Sports Daily. His work has been featured on MSN, Fox Sports, Yardbarker, SB Nation and Bleacher Report. Matt has also written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He enjoys eating good food, shooting hoops and making original, compelling stories go viral.
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