In a match-up between two of the NBA’s budding big men, Blake Griffin got the better of DeMarcus Cousins. And then some.
He didn’t bang home any ferocious dunks and had a meager night by his standards (14 points and 9 rebounds), but Griffin hit three straight jumpers in the closing moments to help the Clippers secure a 93-85 victory over the Kings on Thursday. He also managed to ruffle Cousins’ feathers in physical battle that Kings coach Keith Smart likened to a “football game.”
Cousins wasn’t able to do much on the offensive end, with foul trouble limiting him to only 18 minutes on the court. He was set off when he was whistled for his fifth foul after apparently making contact with the face of Griffin, a known flopper, on a reach-in. (Talk about a bad night of officiating for teams called the “Kings.”) Bottom line, it was a frustrating game for Cousins, who posted only eight points and three boards, and those frustrations boiled over after the game. It was classic DeMarcus:
“I guess the wind from my hand hit him in the eye,” Cousins said. “I guess he got fouled by the wind.”
Griffin said he wasn’t worried about what happened with Cousins because both teams play again on Saturday in L.A.
“He’s in L.A.where actors belong,” Cousins said in response. He’s an actor, so of course he would say that.”
Cousins went on to criticize the officials for, in his eyes, not calling the game fairly and was subsequently fined $25,000 by the league on Friday.
But Cousins expressed what might be a growing “anti-Blake Griffin” sentiment within the NBA. Of course you remember we’ve already seen Jason Smith lay Griffin out on the open court. Griffin’s one of the most physical players in the game on offense, and yet on defense he almost shies away from engaging in physical play. Throw in his arrogant demeanor after his dunks, and it’s clear why other players would take issue with him.
Anyway, I can’t wait to see what happens when Griffin and Cousins step on the court together again Saturday.
Video via Huffington Post
Photo credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE
