The Los Angeles Lakers swapped their roster position from DeMarcus Cousins for Markieff Morris in February. In Cousins’ first game against his former team on Sunday, he and Morris had an irritable trade.
Neither player made it to the end of the game.
Morris and Cousins were charged for double technical fouls with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter of the Houston Rockets’ 120-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers for getting into a series of shoves after Morris’s flagrant 1 foul on Jae. ‘Sean Tate, who sent the Rockets forward to the ground.
Morris was sent off for the infraction after he retaliated against Cousins, who caused him to fall to the ground by charging into him by pushing him while helping Tate up. Not long after that, Cousins was also sent off early in the second quarter when he was charged for a flagrant foul 2 for hitting LeBron James on the head. The hit appeared to be incidental, as Cousins attempted to steal the ball from James as the Lakers star drove to the basket. However, the umpires ruled that Cousins deserved a flagrant call 2 and an automatic expulsion. Cousins has been sent off twice in the Rockets’ last four games. He was called for two technical fouls in a span of two minutes and 53 seconds before being 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 let anything 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 of who DeMarcus Cousins is. “
The Lakers signed Cousins in the summer of 2019 to try to recreate the frontcourt success he had with Anthony Davis at the New Orleans Pelicans, yet the former All-Star center never played a game for Los Angeles after breaking up. the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. during a pickup game.
Cousins was negotiated in February to open a spot on the roster to sign Morris, who struck a purchase agreement with the Detroit Pistons and was on the market.
Morris was instrumental 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 for shut down the Rockets.
Although Cousins was not on the Lakers’ playoff roster, his name was still etched on every Lakers championship ring. The Lakers plan to gift Cousins a championship ring when they host the Rockets at Staples Center later this season, league sources told ESPN.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.
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