DeMarcus Cousins on ejection for spitting mouthguard: ‘Ridiculous’

You can be the judge on this one.

Late in the fourth quarter on Tuesday during the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers game, Kings center DeMarcus Cousins was ejected for picking up his second technical foul of the game after apparently spitting his mouthguard at the Trail Blazers bench. 

In an unusual turn of events, however, the officials reversed the call and allowed Cousins return to the game.

Cousins had been fouled by Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee as he scored to put the Kings up with 35 seconds left in the game. Cousins then turned toward the Trail Blazers bench and appeared to say something, and his mouthguard flew out.

He had sprinted into the locker room after being ejected, but officials reversed their call and he ran back out to the court to complete the three-point play.

After the game, he told CSN California that his mouthguard had accidentally come out and the ejection call was “ridiculous.”

"It's ridiculous. It's obvious what's being done out here. It's on a nightly basis. I hope the world can see now what's really going on out here 'cause it's getting ridiculous. It's really ridiculous," he said.

Cousins finished the game with 55 points, which was one point shy of his career high, and 13 rebounds to help the Kings rally from a 12-point deficit after the first half to beat the Trail Blazers, 126-121. 

Before the game, he was fined by the Kings for his profane tirade toward a reporter after a game last week.

Twitter: @edmgonzalez

eduardo.gonzalez@latimes.com