NEW YORK -- New York Knicks center Andrea Bargnani was ejected for talking trash to Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett in the fourth quarter of New York’s 113-83 blowout win over Brooklyn on Thursday -- but Garnett claimed he didn’t know what Bargnani said.
“I don’t understand Italian,” Garnett said after the game.
Asked if Bargnani said something “nice” to him, Garnett responded, “Next question.”
Bargnani didn't want to get into specifics after the game but did say, “I wasn't speaking Italian but that's not important. The game is important. I'm happy we won.”
With 9:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, Garnett and Bargnani got tangled up trying to grab a rebound. After falling to the floor, Bargnani got in Garnett’s face, and Garnett put his hands up. Bargnani, who was whistled for a loose-ball foul as well, had hit Garnett with an elbow in the paint moments earlier.
Both players received technical fouls. Bargnani was hit with his second “T” and thrown out of the game at the 8:22 mark after talking more trash to Garnett following a made 21-foot jumper. Bargnani finished with 16 points in 28 minutes.
That wasn’t the only extracurricular incident of the night. Nets center Andray Blatche and Knicks guard Iman Shumpert exchanged words and received technical fouls with 1:55 left in the second quarter after Blatche shouldered Shumpert on a pick.
“Nothing serious,” Blatche said.
The two have a history. Two preseasons ago, Shumpert called Blatche “terrible” and “horrible” from the bench while the Knicks guard was sitting out with an injury during a game on Long Island.