DeMarcus Cousins' reputation as a tough cookie for the referees to deal with precedes him.
For practically every year he's been in the league, he's been among the leaders in technical fouls (via teamrankings.com):
2011: 15 (No. 8)
2012: 13 (No. 6)
2013: 17 (No. 1)
2014: 16 (No. 4)
2015: 15 (No. 2)
2016: 17 (No. 2)
2017: 20 (No. 2)
2018: 14 (No. 11)
2019: 7 (No. 35 in only 30 games)
2020: N/A (didn't play)
Apparently, his year-long absence from the league hasn't changed things too much, although Monday night's example of the referees' frequent interaction with the veteran big may have been a little unfair toward Cousins.
The first technical issued toward Cousins was for a small shove on Willie Cauley-Stein. A small shove, yes, but a shove nonetheless that could be deemed unnecessary. This one was fair.
The second one, in my opinion, was a little less deserved.
It depends exactly what Boogie said in this instance. But if all he did was raise his arms up and ask for a foul, however flamboyantly, it probably shouldn't have resulted in his ejection. I've seen this exact display go uncalled numerous times this season and every season. But when you already had a run-in with the refs earlier in the game and have the reputation of a consistent top-ten technical fouler, I suppose the target on your back is a little bit bigger.
Crew chief John Goble told reporter Jonathan Feigen after the game that Cousins earned the tech "for an overt gesture directed at an official in resentment of a non-call," so it doesn't seem like it wasn't because of anything he said (h/t Tom Gatto of Sporting News). To me, it seems more like the referee had just had enough of DeMarcus's sh--.
And so in just two minutes and 53 seconds of action in his third game back from NBA action after a year-long hiatus, Cousins was tossed from the game, just like old times. Pop, you watching?
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