Knicks coach Derek Fisher’s love of the triangle extends beyond Madison Square Garden.
Fisher’s romance with the estranged wife of NBA forward Matt Barnes sent the enraged Barnes speeding 95 miles down the California coast to bash Fisher, sources said.
Barnes, who now plays with the Memphis Grizzlies, was infuriated to learn that his ex-teammate was wooing his sultry spouse, Gloria Govan — and doing so at a party inside the luxury Los Angeles home that Barnes once shared with his dark-haired bride.
Govan, who watched as the two hoopsters battled one-on-one in the ongoing love triangle, is best known for her role on the VH1 reality show “Basketball Wives LA.”
Fisher, in low and subdued tones before the Knicks’ Wednesday night preseason debut at Madison Square Garden, declined to go into specifics about the Saturday night slugfest.
“Personal and private matters are personal and private,” said Fisher, whose face showed no signs of bumps, bruises or black eyes from the altercation.
ISOLA: DEREK FISHER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
No one was charged with a crime after the confrontation. Asked about bringing charges against the bigger Barnes, the 6-foot-1 Fisher said only, “I guess we’ll see.”
Both the NBA and the Grizzlies were investigating the throwdown that came after the outraged Barnes drove south on U.S. 101 in search of Fisher.
Barnes, 35, was at training camp with the Grizzlies in Santa Barbara when he learned about the party at his home — which features a swimming pool and a full basketball court in the backyard.
A cooled-off Barnes, after making the return trip to the training camp, went to team officials and acknowledged the two men were involved in a fight, sources said.
“We are aware and currently gathering information regarding today’s report involving Matt Barnes,” the Grizzlies confirmed Wednesday in a statement.
FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. “LIKE” US HERE.
Fisher and the 6-foot-7, 226-pound Barnes were teammates on the Lakers for two seasons. Barnes played with the Los Angeles Clippers for the last three years before landing with the Grizzlies.
The 41-year-old Fisher, hired last year by team President Phil (Zen Master) Jackson — a proponent of the triangle offense that’s based on spacing and passing — went to Los Angeles to see his kids and wound up also visiting Govan.
Fisher and his wife filed for divorce in March, and it was unclear when the second-year coach started seeing Govan.
Barnes and his bride split up in September 2014, and have twin sons. The 12-year NBA veteran has since linked himself to chart-topping singer Rihanna, who claimed that Barnes was delusional. Barnes played six games for the Knicks in 2005.
Fisher missed a scheduled Knicks practice after the fight with Barnes, although he declined to say if the scuffle had anything to do with his absence.
“I don’t want to get into why I really missed practice,” Fisher told reporters. “I guess I’ll cover that at some point.”
Barnes once flew into a Twitter rage after his estranged wife appeared in a skimpy red dress at the Hollywood premiere of the Kevin Hart movie “The Wedding Ringer.”
“S/O (shoutout) to all the real mothers out there who take care of their responsibilities,” Barnes said via Twitter.
“Not on EVERY red carpet or flyin all over the country chasing … ?”
Govan’s sister Laura responded by posting to Instagram a topless photo of the two siblings.
![Josh Hart doesn’t want to make the assumption — but the trend proved true at least through the first two games of the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, which means a similar trend could be true, too, in the second round against the Indiana Pacers. Jalen Brunson shot the ball poorly in four regular-season matchups against the 76ers. His slow shooting start in Games 1 and 2 — where he shot a combined 16-of-55 from the field — was not a surprise. Nor should it be a surprise if Brunson reduced the Indiana Pacer defense to ash […]](https://www.nydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24033113916407.jpg?w=525 "Josh Hart doesn’t want to make the assumption — but the trend proved true at least through the first two games of the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, which means a similar trend could be true, too, in the second round against the Indiana Pacers. Jalen Brunson shot the ball poorly in four regular-season matchups against the 76ers. His slow shooting start in Games 1 and 2 — where he shot a combined 16-of-55 from the field — was not a surprise. Nor should it be a surprise if Brunson reduced the Indiana Pacer defense to ash […]")
