The Los Angeles Lakers replaced DeMarcus Cousins on Markieff Morris in February. Cousins’ first game against his former team on Sunday, he and Morris got their own exchange.
Neither player finished the game.
Morris and Cousins were called up for double technical fouls with 2:15 left in the first quarter of the Houston Rockets game against Los Angeles for entering a pushing game after Morris’ flagrant foul 1 on Jae’Sean Tate, which sent the Rockets forward. lying on the ground.
Morris was kicked out for the offense after retaliating against Cousins’ body check that caused him to fall to the ground charging at Cousins to push him while he was helping Tate climb.
Shortly afterwards, Cousins was also sent off early in the second quarter, when he was called to a flagrant foul 2 for hitting LeBron James in the head. The shot seemed incidental as Cousins tried to strip James’ ball as the Lakers star headed for the basket. However, the referees ruled that Cousins ’liquidation and follow-up deserved a flagrant call of 2 and an automatic expulsion. Cousins has been sent off twice during the last four Rockets games. He was called up for two technical fouls in a span of two minutes and 53 seconds to be sent off in Monday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers signed Cousins in the summer of 2019 to try to recreate the success of the front court he teamed with Anthony Davis at the New Orleans Pelicans, though the former All-Star never played a match in Los Angeles after breaking his ACL in his left knee. during a pickup game.
Cousins resigned in February to open a roster position to sign Morris, who reached a purchase deal with the Detroit Pistons and was in the market.
Morris was pivotal during the Lakers championship race, ironically playing his most effective ball in the second round against Houston when he scored 16 points in the 2nd game to score the series 1-1 and 16 points again in the 5th game to close the Rockets.
Although Cousins was not on the Lakers ’playoff list, his name was still engraved on all rings of the Lakers championship. The Lakers plan to present Cousins with a championship ring when they host the Rockets at the Staples Center later this season, league sources told ESPN.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.