By Greg Payne
Article Reprint
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Thursday morning that forward Kevin Garnett did not include Carmelo Anthony‘s wife in trash talking during Monday’s victory over the New York Knicks, as has been rumored.
“Well, No. 1, I know what’s been reported did not happen,” Rivers said adamantly during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. “I know that as a fact.”
Pressed further on Garnett’s rumored remarks, Rivers said: “That did not happen.”
Garnett and Anthony were called for double technicals in Monday’s game for jawing at each other on the court, an argument that extended to the tunnel of Madison Square Garden after the game. Anthony was suspended Wednesday for confronting Garnett after the game and approaching him at the Celtics’ team bus.
Rivers chalked up the incident to Anthony trying to deflect attention back to Garnett.
“Guys, you know how this works,” Rivers said. “A guy does something crazy like Carmelo did, and the way to get out of trouble is to say, ‘Well, he said this.’ It happens all the time, and what bugs me about this whole thing is this is not a Kevin Garnett issue. And it was made into one, and it shouldn’t have been made into one.”