VIDEO: Matt Barnes catches Serge Ibaka with inadvertent elbow
Given the dire situations handed to the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, it's no surprise that their Sunday afternoon clash got a bit heated.
The Thunder have been wracked with injures to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook early in the season. Their collective absence sees the Thunder on the outside looking in for the playoffs, leaving almost no margin for error in their pursuit of a playoff seed.
The Clippers, meanwhile, currently hold the seventh seed, but were dealt a huge blow Sunday morning when it was announced that Blake Griffin would miss at least a month to treat a staph infection in his elbow.
Their shared desperation culminated in a bitterly contested clash on Sunday.
First, Thunder center Steven Adams had to leave the game with an injured right hand.
Then, Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka took a hard elbow to the temple on an errant drive by Clippers swingman Matt Barnes.
Stay safe out there!