National Basketball Association

Kings leave Cousins at home after dustup

Published Feb. 13, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins was barred from the team's flight to Phoenix after a locker room altercation with teammate Donte Greene, The Sacramento Bee reported Sunday.

Cousins was angered not to have got a touch in the final seconds of the last play, which ended with Tyreke Evans missing a 3-pointer, in the 99-97 defeat to Oklahoma City on Saturday night and called Greene out after the game.

The pair traded words and needed to be separated. Greene had insisted to reporters that Cousins was not open during the play, a view supported by Kings coach Paul Westphal.

The result was Cousins staying in Sacramento.

A team spokesman said Kings president Geoff Petrie would make a decision Sunday whether to suspend the center, who has been fined and thrown out of practice twice during his rookie season for unwelcome comments around the team.

But he added that the 20 year old could still join his teammates in Phoenix later Sunday.