This was published 7 years ago
NBA: 55 points, an ejection and a return - The 'ridiculous' tale of DeMarcus Cousins
By Roy Ward
As NBA drama goes it was first rate but in the life of DeMarcus Cousins it will sit somewhere around the middle.
The Sacramento Kings centre went from hero to villain and back to hero in the space of a few chaotic minutes during his struggling club's 126-121 win over Portland Trail Blazers in Sacramento on Wednesday [Australian time].
Cousins, known by the nickname Boogie, had scored a season-high 52 points and had just made a lay-up and been fouled with 35.2 seconds left when he appeared to spit out his mouth guard while yelling at the Portland bench.
The Kings centre has endured a trying season as his club's stand-alone superstar and he has repeatedly complained about receiving extra physical treatment and not getting enough foul calls.
He appeared to yell at the Blazers bench during his celebrations then spit out his mouthguard in the bench's direction.
Cousins had battled with Blazers' centres Mason Plumlee and Meyers Leonard throughout the game.
Referee Brian Forte called Cousins for a technical foul, his second of the night, which meant an automatic ejection.
So an infuriated Cousins ran for the locker room but was soon called back out after the referees huddled together and changed the call deciding his mouthguard had come out accidentally.
Cousins made his foul shot to move to 55 points as his team held on for a much needed win then Cousins spoke about about his frustrations during his post game interview which local broadcaster CSN which chose to cut off the audio.
It's not known what Cousins said which prompted the broadcasters' decision as he rallied against NBA referees and then his opposition.
"It's ridiculous," Cousins told CSN.
"It's obvious what's being done out here. It's a nightly basis. I hope the world can see now what's really going on out here. It's getting ridiculous, really ridiculous."
CSN's Kayte Christensen asked Cousins if he lost his mouthguard accidentally.
"Yes, man. Yes. This is ridiculous, man. Ridiculous," he responded.
Christensen then asked Cousins about the Blazers' defensive tactics.
"That was light, man," Cousins said.
"I know what their game scheme is every night. They're hyping up their big man over there. He thinks he's a stopper. It's not happening. I bought him back to reality."
Then CSN cut Cousins' audio off for his last few sentences.
Leonard told CSNNW post game he believed Cousins shouldn't have been kept in the game.
"He deserved to be out of the game for what he did," Leonard said.
"He's very skilled player. Had a very good game. His antics are over the top, he's disrespectful, out of line.
"The list of words could go on.
"I can't respect someone like that. I saw some comment from him that, 'The world needs to see that this is ridiculous.' No it's not ridiculous. He did it to himself, and that's the truth."
Cousins' performance came a day after he was fined $50,000 and made an apology to fans, the Kings and the NBA for abusing a Sacramento Bee columnist Andy Furillo for mentioning his brother's off-season arrest during a column about Cousins.
The apology did not include the paper or Furillo.
Forte told pool reporter Mike Richman of the Oregonian post game Cousins was re-instated due to the referees changing the decision and NBA rules forbid a video review of the incident.
"I called a technical foul because I thought DeMarcus [Cousins] threw his mouthpiece into the stands when it ended up underneath Portland's bench," Forte said.
"I conferred with my partners and they confirmed that he did not throw the mouthpiece and that it came out of his mouth and that's how it ended up there."
Whether Cousins also avoids a suspension from the league remains to be seen.