The Los Angeles Lakers changed their place in their DeMarcus Cousins squad to Markieff Morris in February. In Cousins’ first game against his former team on Sunday, he and Morris had an irritable exchange.
None of the players reached the end of the game.
Morris and Cousins were penalized for two technical fouls with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter of the Houston Rockets’ 120-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers to get into a series of pushes after the flagrant foul 1 of Morris on Jae ‘Sean Tate, who sent the Rockets forward to the ground.
Morris was kicked out for the offense after retaliating against Cousins, who knocked him to the ground by charging at him while pushing him while helping Tate to his feet. Not long after that, Cousins was also sent off early in the second quarter when he was penalized for a flagrant foul 2 for hitting LeBron James in the head. The blow seemed to be incidental, as Cousins tried to get the ball out of James as the Lakers star drove toward the basket. However, the referees ruled that Cousins deserved a flagrant call 2 and an automatic expulsion. Cousins has been sent off twice in the last four Rockets games. He was penalized 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.
“I thought [Cousins] he was defending his teammate in the first half, the first technique, and I will support him 100% when he is defending his teammate, “said Rockets coach Stephen Silas.” He was defending Jae’Sean. He wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to his rookie, and I think that’s admirable.
“He [flagrante 2], When he hit LeBron in the face or whatever, it’s a decision. Or I don’t even know if it’s a decision; comes from the repeater booth. live with it. But defending his teammate shows a lot about who DeMarcus Cousins is. “
The Lakers signed Cousins in the summer of 2019 to try to recreate the success on the front court he had with Anthony Davis at the New Orleans Pelicans, however, the former All-Star center never played a game for Los Angeles after breaking the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. during a pickup game.
Cousins was traded in February in order to open a spot on the roster to sign Morris, who reached a purchase deal with the Detroit Pistons and was in the market.
Morris played a pivotal role during the Lakers championship run, ironically playing his most effective ball in the second round against Houston when he scored 16 points in Game 2 to tie the series 1-1 and 16 points again in Game 5 to close the Rockets.
Although Cousins was not on the Lakers ’playoff roster, his name was still engraved on every Lakers championship ring. The Lakers plan to give Cousins 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.