章節 83: Chapter 83: Ejection in Debut!

At halftime, the Warriors led the Spurs 51-40, holding a solid 11-point advantage. However, as the third quarter began, Coach Popovich unleashed a surprise strategy, targeting Cousins with a "Hack-a-Cousins" tactic. This unexpected move quickly proved effective, and within just a few minutes, the Warriors' lead shrank to a mere 2 points.

Initially, Cousins managed a decent free-throw rate, hovering around 60%, but as the fouls piled up and frustration set in, his accuracy plummeted, leading to a rare four-straight misses. Seeing the narrowing score gap, Coach Kerr called a timeout and substituted Cousins out. By this point, Cousins had only scored four points from free throws in the third quarter, barely reaching double digits with his eight points from the first half. Popovich's relentless targeting clearly got to Cousins, who sat on the bench visibly fuming, muttering under his breath and clearly upset, convinced that Popovich had set out to ruin his big return.

With Cousins sidelined, Thompson stepped up, knocking down three triples and scoring nine points to help the Warriors push their lead back to six.

As the third quarter ended, the Warriors held a slim 75-69 lead. But as soon as the fourth quarter began and Cousins re-entered the game, Popovich wasted no time directing the Spurs to resume the "Hack-a-Cousins" strategy. Cousins was once again sent to the free-throw line, his nerves already frayed, and this time, he only managed to sink one of two.

Shortly after, Mills hit a crucial three-pointer for the Spurs, cutting the lead further. The Spurs then fouled Cousins again off the ball, sending him to the line once more, but this time he missed both attempts. DeRozan quickly took advantage, hitting a mid-range shot that brought the score to 76-74. In just a few possessions, Cousins' frustration had reached a boiling point.

As the game tightened and Cousins kept missing from the line, he became visibly agitated. When Poeltl approached him for yet another off-ball foul, Cousins snapped, shoving Poeltl hard to the ground. The referees immediately stepped in to prevent the situation from escalating, but there was no doubt about the call—Cousins was assessed a flagrant foul and was ejected from the game.

Ironically, the ejection was a form of relief for Cousins. His inability to sink his free throws had left him increasingly frustrated, and if Coach Kerr had benched him, it would've bruised his pride even more. Being ejected allowed him to leave the court on his own terms, ending his "free-throw nightmare."

As Cousins made his exit from his much-anticipated debut in such a dramatic fashion, the crowd erupted in a mix of boos and angry shouts directed at Popovich. Many Warriors fans felt Popovich's tactic was unfair to Cousins, lacking compassion. However, fans from rival teams found the whole situation amusing; seeing Cousins struggle in his Warriors debut was oddly satisfying for them.

The game continued, and the Spurs sank the technical free throw, pulling the score to 76-75, just one point behind. Confident they'd seized control, the Spurs quickly discovered that Cousins' absence actually invigorated the Warriors.

Tang Lei, Durant, and Thompson unleashed a scoring barrage, each taking turns with drives, jumpers, and three-pointers, firing off an astonishing 30-9 run. Within moments, the Warriors expanded their lead to a staggering 22 points, turning the game into an instant blowout. Recognizing the inevitable outcome, Popovich conceded defeat, signaling his reserves to take the floor.

The Warriors followed suit, resting their stars, and secured a comfortable victory to notch their 26th consecutive win, further extending the best winning streak in franchise history.

Does anyone know where is Cousins right now? Leave your thoughts without Google it! If you are a fan~