The Los Angeles Clippers had a shaky two minute spell in the fourth quarter as the Sacramento Kings went on a 15-1 run, but they were still able to begin their 2015-16 season with a 111-104 win. Blake Griffin did Blake Griffin things as he went off for 20 first half points and finished with 33 for the game, and Chris Paul added 18 points and 11 assists. Also, despite Doc Rivers needing to return to his starters late in the game as the Kings clawed back, the new bench still looked much better than they did just a few weeks ago at the start of preseason.
So, in all, things are looking good for the Clippers right now. As they stand 1-0, they still have 81 games left to perfect the play of their revamped team as they aim for a championship.
However, even though Wednesday night’s game was only the opening night of their season, it didn’t prevent Kings center DeMarcus Cousins from getting worked up.
James Ham of CSNBayArea.com reported a comment Cousins made after the game, and it’s now perfectly clear that he hates the Clippers:
"I hate them, honestly, I do. I hate them." -Cousins on the Clippers
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) October 29, 2015
Hate is a strong word, but not too strong to stop Cousins saying it twice.
The aggression that Boogie plays with is partly why he’s so entertaining to watch, and his attitude towards the Clippers may just be part of that combined with the disappointment of an opening night loss. Maybe he was simply frustrated. On the other hand, this isn’t the first time he’s expressed that hatred. It looks like he genuinely despises the Clippers and is looking for a rivalry this season.
Even when dating back to 2013, Cousins showed his dislike for the Clippers with instances such as this, when he refused to shake J.J. Redick’s hand:
The Clippers already have their fare share of developing rivalries with the likes of the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks after the DeAndre Jordan drama of this summer. Now, it looks like Boogie is trying to add the Kings to that list.
As for his play, though, Cousins was an absolute force against the Clippers. He bulldozed his way through players in the paint, gave Josh Smith hell when he came in at backup center, and ultimately ended the night with 32 points and 13 rebounds.
Could we see a Cousins revenge game when they next play on Saturday in Los Angeles? Almost definitely. That being said, it’s going to be difficult for him to improve on the performance he had on Wednesday.
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So, even though the bench is still a working progress (as it should be), you can’t really blame Doc for having to turn away from his new second unit at times. There was nothing Smith could do to slow down Boogie when he was responsible for guarding him in the post. He was undersized, overpowered, and simply outmatched in Cousins’ favorite part of the floor.
The dominance of Cousins aside, though, the Clippers still held on down the stretch and started their season with a win.
However, it looks like the Kings’ star center will be coming at them with everything he’s got this season as his hatred for them increases.
Next: Blake Griffin's 33 leads Clippers over Kings in season opener