Rick Carlisle, Baron Davis have words

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle felt no need for elaboration or explanation after his exchange of expletives and dagger stares with Clippers guard Baron Davis.

"I'm not going to talk about that," Carlisle said after the Mavs' emotionally charged 112-105 win over the Clippers. "It was ... whatever."

Mavs' J.J. Barea had another word to describe the incident that resulted in double technical fouls: "Awesome."

It began when the pesky Barea baited Davis into an offensive foul near midcourt with 8:40 remaining in the fourth quarter and momentum firmly in the Mavs' grasp. Barea sensed Davis was frustrated that he didn't get a call the previous possession, felt him push off and responded by getting breath-smelling close to Davis' bearded grill.

As intended, Davis didn't appreciate that and wildly swung his elbow. Barea hit the hardwood like he'd been run over by a tank -- or at least Blake Griffin -- and was angrily accused by Davis of flopping. Barea, by the way, didn't exactly deny that charge after the game.

"I didn't have to go down, but when you get hit like that, you go down," Barea said with a grin. "It's basketball."

Things really got heated during the ensuing timeout. Carlisle wouldn't provide any details, but Davis offered his unique perspective on the exchange.

"He basically thought I took a cheap shot on Barea," Davis said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Barea was flopping the whole night and he flopped on that play. So when Carlisle looked at me, 'That was a dirty play.'

"I was like, 'No it wasn't. This dude is flopping.' I guess he felt like he was protecting his player. So I told him to ... "

Davis acknowledged that he sprinkled in some colorful language as well. Carlisle certainly didn't back down, appearing ready to brawl with the brawny point guard, reflecting the Mavs' intensity during their defensively dominant second half.

"He started cussing me out," Davis said. "I told him, 'Go have some lunch.'"

Barea wasn't the only Mav who appreciated Carlisle's actions.

"I've got his back," big man Tyson Chandler said. "He's all right."

It didn't escalate past that point, but the coach's intensity clearly inspired the Mavs. They responded with a 10-0 run out of the break to turn a tight game into a blowout.

"Man, that's it. Guys see it and we get fired up from it," Jason Terry said. "This team has been looking for some personality. When it comes from your head coach, that's big. You know he has your back, but that's just another example of it."

Considering Carlisle's reputation for having a robotic personality and the rarity of coach-opposing player scraps, the outburst came as a pretty big surprise. At least to outsiders.

"Everybody thinks Rick is this calm-demeanor guy, no emotion," Terry said. "He shows tons of emotion and tonight was an example of that."

'Voices Were Raised': 'Big Pussy' and Rapper in 'Sopranos' Style War of Words Over Video Shoot

"Sopranos" star Vincent Pastore and mob-related rapper Tony Testa got into a wild, name-calling dust-up during a video shoot for Testa's new record.

A nephew of jailed mob boss Joseph Carmine Testa told us he had a fight with Pastore after the actor -- who played Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on the HBO series -- demanded a limo and top billing on the credits before he would leave the house.

According to Testa, Pastore then refused to show up for Wednesday's shoot for "Paper Chaser" at Bamonte's restaurant in Williamsburg -- leaving fellow "Sopranos" actor Joe Gannascoli, who played closet gay Vito Spatafore Sr., and Chuck Zito, who starred in HBO's "Oz," to carry on with the shoot before they, too, began bickering.

Testa, who owns three Long Island tanning salons, said, "At the last minute, Vincent didn't like the negotiated terms for the video, so I gave him some choice words. He says he's not turning up. He wants a limo to pick him up because of the rain. I called him and said, 'Take a cab, and I'll pay for it.'

"But he gets very rude and disrespectful, starts cursing on the phone, saying, 'This isn't even union. I don't know what the [bleep] this is. I need a private car to pick me up. I am not leaving my [bleep]ing house to get into a car accident to film your video.'

"I said to him, 'Listen to me, you fat mother[bleeper]: If you don't turn up to my video shoot, I'll stomp on your head.' He then sent a text to Joe saying he was just threatened by me. This isn't 'The Sopranos.' My uncle is doing life in jail. I am doing rap because it is my passion. These guys think they are celebrities. He thinks he is Kim Kardashian."

Then, during the shoot, Zito and Gannascoli started fighting about whether "The Sopranos" or "Oz" was the better show.

"Voices were raised," Testa told us.

Pastore's agent said, "This is the first I've heard of this." Zito said, "Vinnie has always been a down-to-earth guy. On a movie, they pick you up; it's normal treatment. I don't think he would expect star treatment."

Zito laughed: "The best show is 'Oz' . . . Joe took good advice and walked away. He knew he was in a losing battle."