What’s being said in the NBA

TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley wanted to vent about Blake Griffin on Thursday after the Clippers’ 93-90 loss at Phoenix:

“You gotta get better as a basketball player because they can’t go to you with the game on the line,” Barkley said. “I know everybody goes crazy over your dunks, but you’re not going to get many dunks. You have to get in the gym this summer. You got to develop your offensive skills before you can go to the next level.”

Dallas guard Delonte West was fined $25,000 for sticking his finger into the ear of Utah Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward during a game Monday:

“I didn’t think it was going to be that steep,” West said. “That’s a whole month’s check for me. I probably won’t have cable in a couple days.”

Minnesota forward Wayne Ellington after the Timberwolves won their first game in April since April 8, 2009:

“The last time I won in April was in 2009, when I won a national championship in Detroit with North Carolina.”

Forward Kevin Garnett spoke to the media after Boston beat the Orlando Magic on Wednesday to clinch the Celtics’ fifth consecutive Atlantic Division crown:

“You know, I read some of your pathetic articles and some of your lousy analysis. It’s opinion. I mean, obviously you don’t know what drive is. We thank y’all for those articles. Appreciate it. Because it lit a fire under us.”