“Happens more than people realize,” Obi Toppin chooses to be OPTIMISTIC over heated sideline exchange with RJ Barrett
Knicks’ Obi Toppin and RJ Barrett explain their heated exchange
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The New York Knicks are fighting for their playoff lives, but they’re also fighting with each other. On Friday night, 130-116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers., Knicks teammates Obi Toppin and RJ Barrett got into a heated exchange on the sideline. The two young players were seen yelling and pointing at each other, while their coaches and teammates tried to intervene.
The argument drew a lot of attention from fans and media, who wondered if there was a rift between the two rising stars. Some speculated that Toppin was unhappy with Barrett’s shot selection and ball movement, while others suggested that Barrett was frustrated with Toppin’s defense and turnovers. However, after the game, both players downplayed the incident and said that they have a strong bond and that they were just trying to fire each other up.
Toppin, who had 12 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench, said that he was not bothered by the scrutiny that the incident received and that he chose to look at it positively. “It happens more than people realize. It’s part of the game. It’s part of being a team,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a big deal. I think it shows that we care and that we want to get better. I think it’s a good thing.”
Barrett, who had 14 points and six assists in 30 minutes as a starter, echoed Toppin’s sentiments and said that they were on the same page. “We’re good. We’re fine. We’re just trying to win,” Barrett said. “We’re both young guys who want to do well for ourselves and for the team. Sometimes we might get heated, but it’s nothing personal. We’re just trying to push each other.”
Toppin and Barrett: No hard feelings after heated exchange
Toppin also said that he was not bothered by the attention that the incident received and that he chose to be optimistic about it. “We’re brothers. We love each other. We’re always going to have each other’s back,” Toppin said. “We’re both very competitive. We both want to win. Sometimes we might say things that we don’t mean, but at the end of the day, we’re brothers and we love each other.”
Barrett also praised Toppin for his energy and impact on the game. “Obi is a great player. He brings a lot of spark off the bench. He runs the floor hard, he finishes strong, he rebounds well,” Barrett said. “He’s a big part of our team. I love playing with him.”
The Knicks ended up winning the game 130-116, dropping to 45-33 on the season and moving to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Despite the setback, Toppin and Barrett said that they were confident in their team’s ability to bounce back and make the playoffs. “We’re not giving up. We’re not quitting,” Toppin said. “We have two more games left. We have to win them both. We have to stick together as a team and play hard.” “We have a lot of fight in us,” Barrett said. “We have a lot of talent and heart on this team. We have to keep working and keep believing in ourselves.”
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Ankush Singh
(616 Articles Published)