“I called a technical foul because I thought DeMarcus [Cousins] threw his mouthpiece into the stands when it ended up underneath Portland’s bench,” Forte told pool reporter Mike Richman after the game.
But after speaking to his officiating crew, Forte reversed his call, rescinding the technical and inviting Cousins back out onto the floor.
“I conferred with my partners and they confirmed that he did not throw the mouthpiece and that it came out of his mouth that that’s how it ended up there,” Forte added.
Whether the mouthpiece came out of Cousins’ mouth intentionally or by accident will be a major topic of debate over the next few days, but according to Forte, the play was not reviewable.
“From my vantage point, I thought that he taunted our bench and as he was taunting our bench the mouthpiece flew out,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “The referee asked me if it was his mouthpiece and I said that it was. Then he asked me if he threw it, then I said no he didn’t and that’s why he came back in.”
Cousins had a different view of the situation.
“I was talking to the bench and it came out,” Cousins said.
“Nah, no intent,” Cousins continued. “I would never spit on it, I’m not like that.”
