BROOKLYN, N.Y.It's too soon to call what Boston and Brooklyn have as a rivalry.
But it's pretty clear after the two have faced three times this season, that there's not a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings between these two.
Not. Even. Close.
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And in case you weren't sure, look no further than Tuesday's 93-76 Celtics win in which four different players were whistled for technical fouls - all coming on the same play.
The incident happened with 9:31 to play and the Celtics ahead 77-60.
Nets guard C.J. Watson launched a 3-pointer that was rebounded by his teammate, Gerald Wallace. Wallace was fouled on the rebound by Jeff Green. Losing his balance following the foul, Wallace reached out to grab the shorts of Kevin Garnett.
Replays showed Wallace holding on to Garnett's jersey shorts after the play, with there being a brief moment in which Garnett has his hand around Wallace's wrist.
Wallace had little to say on the play after the game.
But Garnett didn't hesitate to state his case on what happened.
"He just grabbed my shorts. I tried to help him up, make sure he didn't fall," Garnett said in describing his role on the play. "And he just kept grabbing my shorts. So I asked him what he was doing. He didn't respond. And I looked at him, what you doing? And I tried to smack his hand away. It really wasn't nothing. He just jacked my shorts."
Their exchange resulted in technical fouls against both players which offset one another. Boston's Courtney Lee and Andray Blatche also had some words during the play which led to each of them getting whistled for offsetting technical fouls as well.
These two teams are no strangers to incidents resulting in technicals being called. Garnett and Wallace were among the players involved in a Nov. 28 incident at the TD Garden when Kris Humphries delivered a foul to Garnett that sent him tumbling to the ground.
Rajon Rondo then got in Humphries face and the two began a shoving match that briefly spilled into the crowd. The league suspended Rondo for two games for his role in the incident.
In that particular play, there was a minor exchange that involved Garnett and Wallace.
Garnett, who has the reputation of being one of the game's great instigators, was clearly bothered by the fact that on Tuesday the play was done and over with when Wallace - who by now had regained his balance - still clung to his jersey shorts.
"I don't get caught up in the scenarios and all the (bleep)," Garnett said. "The play was over when he (Wallace) started. I was just trying to make sure he was safe; that was it. I don't know where in America where you can jack somebody's pants off or shorts ... I don't know what the hell was going on."
When asked if this could carry over into the next time these two meet, Garnett's response was succinct.
"Next question," he said.