DeMarcus Cousins must have sent the league office something special for the holidays. For the second time this season, Cousins has had his technical foul total reduced by the NBA, dropping his total to seven on the season through 32 games..
Cousins picked up an early technical foul in Sacramento’s wild 126-121 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 20. With 5:07 remaining in the second quarter, the officiating crew of Brian Forte, Pat Fraher and Haywoode Workman called a double-tech on both Cousins and the Trail Blazers Ed Davis, who were engaged in a discussion.
The 26-year-old big later picked up a second tech in the Dec. 20 game against Portland for tossing his mouth piece and was ejected from the game. After speaking with Blazers coach Terry Stotts and confirming that Cousins did not in fact throw his mouthpiece at the Portland bench, Forte summonsed Cousins back to the floor to finish the final minute of the game.
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Davis also had his technical foul rescinded by the NBA, as did Mason Plumlee, who pick-up a violation with just 3:31 remaining in the tightly contested game.
Cousins is off the hook for the $3000 fine that comes with technicals 6-10. He is now pacing for just under 18 techs on the season. After 16, Cousins would receive an automatic one game suspension, a $5000 fine and a lost game check worth an estimated $154,000.
This is the third tech that the NBA has rescinded for Cousins this season. Early in December, the league reviewed and rescinded techs from both the Brooklyn game on Nov. 27 and the Lakers game on Dec 12. He also had a technical added for his actions in an Oct. 29 game against Memphis.
With the reduction, the Kings’ All-Star center no longer leads league in technical fouls. That honor goes to John Wall and Russell Westbrook who are tied at eight infractions on the season.
NBA
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