Troy Daniels fights Will Barton over podcast rant about Suns' 48-point loss

PHOENIX — It didn’t take long for tempers to flare Saturday night in the Denver Nuggets’ 123-113 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Just three minutes into the first quarter after Will Barton’s layup gave the Nuggets’ their sixth and seventh points of the game, Suns guard Troy Daniels and Barton exchanged words as the two ran down to the other end of the floor.

Daniels and Barton went chest to chest in the far corner of Phoenix’s end and exchanged more words as they continued to grab and jaw at one another. Eventually, all 10 players on the floor and team security closed in to try and separate Daniels and Barton. Nuggets coach Michael Malone even made a mad dash from his coach’s box to the quarrel as it looked to escalate for a few moments before cooler heads prevailed.

In the heat of the moment, Barton didn’t know what caused Daniels to go haywire. Afterward, as Barton soaked in the Nuggets’ first road win since Dec. 23, he was reminded of some choice words he said about the Suns on the Road Trippin’ podcast, which drew Phoenix’s ire.

In an episode that was released Friday, Barton, along with Richard Jefferson, who hosts the show, and teammates Mason Plumlee and Gary Harris were talking about Phoenix’s 129-81 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

“I’m going to be the first to say it, they got to send the whole team to the G League,” Barton said. “I’m sorry, except Devin Booker and T.J. Warren. The rest have to go to the G League.

“They’ve got to trade the team to the G League.”

Daniels somehow got wind of the comments over the past 24 hours and made it a point to take it up with Barton during the game.

“It wasn’t nothing personal. I would have said that about us if that happened to us, just being funny on the podcast,” Barton said. “But I didn’t know during the game that’s what it was about.

“Coming into the game, I didn’t even remember I said that. I’m not thinking about that. When we came back in, they told me that’s what it was about and it’s like it all makes sense why he came out like that, which I respect. Shit, you’re supposed to take that personal and I respect that. I would have taken it personal too…”

Daniels’ stunt backfired, though. Barton went on to score 25 points against Phoenix, 16 of which came in the third quarter, to lead Denver to victory. Daniels finished with six points on 2-9 shooting.

“He woke me up,” Barton said. “So now I’m thankful.”

The Road Trippin’ Podcast is 104th on the iTunes charts for sports podcasts. Episodes typically drop once a week.

“I really didn’t think (anyone listened to the podcast),” Barton said. “I’m like, they listened to that?”