DeMarcus Cousins’ return to the NBA after an ACL injury was not quite as planned.
The four-time All-Star has struggled to maintain his game while averaging 5.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in limited minutes off the Houston Rockets bench. Meanwhile, his fight with NBA officials continues.
Cousins played for a hard foul on LeBron
Cousins was expelled from Sunday’s 120-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the second time he was eliminated in six games this season.
Sunday’s expulsion was courtesy of one of the NBA’s biggest offenses – a hard foul on LeBron James.
The incident occurred at the beginning of the second quarter, when James was going to the basket. Cousins challenged James at the top of the bracket and hit the ball hard. Instead, he caught James’ face with his elbow, sending the Lakers star to the ground.
That was it for Boogie. The officials took a second look at the replay and decided that Cousins had to go, deeming the infraction a flagrant foul 2. The designation comes with automatic ejection.
Cousins clearly had no intention of malice with his blow. It is not difficult to conclude that the combination of Cousins’ reputation and James’s status as the face of the league played a role in the expulsion of Cousins. But he would have been launched with a flagrant 1 independently, thanks to a previous infraction.
Cousins started in the first quarter with another player known for his temper, Markieff Morris.
Cousins shoved Morris to the ground in what appeared to be a direct response to Morris by pushing rocket Jae’Sean Tate a moment earlier. Morris stood up and looked ready to have more than words with Cousins.
Cousins left as coaches, players and officials prevented Morris from becoming more involved with downtown Houston. Both players committed technical fouls due to the incident. Morris also received a blatant 1 for pushing Tate. The dirty count earned Morris his own expulsion.
Minutes later, Cousins was eliminated for the second time in six games.
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