NBA: Clips’ Barnes fined $25K

Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes (22) saves the ball from going out of bounds in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. AP FILE PHOTO

NEW YORK – Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Monday for failing to leave the court promptly when he was ejected from a game against Minnesota.

Barnes was assessed a flagrant foul 2 for a hard foul on a driving Kevin Love and was tossed from the contest with 56.8 left in the third quarter.

League officials downgraded the foul to a less serious flagrant 1 after reviewing the video in the wake of the Clippers’ 120-116 overtime victory, but his failure to leave the court in a “timely manner” still drew the fine.

In fact, Barnes was restrained by teammates Stephen Jackson and Willie Green as he appeared ready to go after referee Marc Davis.

Barnes, who has played in just 10 games this season because of injuries, was ejected for the second time in this campaign.

In November, he was ejected from a game against Oklahoma City and then drew a $25,000 fine for failing to leave the court in a timely fashion and for inappropriate language in an angry Twitter posting made during the third quarter of that contest.