Pelicans' DeMarcus Cousins says Rockets' Ryan Anderson guilty of flopping

HOUSTON -- Physical play in the paint as Ryan Anderson attempted to defend DeMarcus Cousins in the fourth quarter of the Houston Rockets' 117-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans led to two official video reviews, two common fouls and terse words afterward from both opposing forwards.

"Flop, review, flop, review, flop, review," Cousins said, in summation.

Anderson was called for a foul with 3:16 to play while trying to deny Cousins position in the post. As Cousins rose to attempt a shot close to the basket, his left elbow caught Anderson in the chin.

The opposing big men then stood toe-to-toe, with Anderson issuing his displeasure verbally while Cousins stood silent.

Officials reviewed the play and did not deem it a flagrant foul.

"This is the second time in a week my lip gets split open and I got elbowed in the face," Anderson said. "This has been a week of me getting hit in the face. It's a part of it. It's good.

"I want to be physical. With DeMarcus, he's a guy, he's such an elite player, when he gets frustrated it's when he's at his worst. It's part of the game plan to get DeMarcus frustrated and the moment he realizes that he'll be that much better of a player. You want to get into him. You want to make him frustrated and that's what I tried to do tonight. If it takes a few hits to the face, that's what it takes."

Less than a minute later, Anderson was again called for a foul as Cousins attempted to post up. As the Pelicans forward turned, the top of his head struck Anderson in the chin. Anderson walked away from the play with his hand to his mouth.

With the Rockets up five with 1:30 to play, Cousins again received the ball on the blocks with Anderson guarding close. Cousins lost control of the ball as he spun baseline, with James Harden also attempting to reach in.

The ball caromed away from Cousins out of bounds as he went up for an attempt and stepped on the right ankle of Anderson, sending him to the ground.

Anderson laid face-first, his forehead resting on the hardwood as he winced in apparent pain. The training staff tended to Anderson on the floor as the play underwent an official review.

"Our game plan was to force Cousins to go baseline, he went baseline, we doubled him from the baseline and he tried to flail and get a foul call," Anderson said. "When he was flailing I thought he was going to shoot the ball so I jumped and I landed on his foot and just twisted my ankle. It happens."

No foul of any kind was charged following the review.

"They never found anything, but they kept running back to review," Cousins said. "He just kept falling. He did it the entire game. He just flopped. He didn't want to defend -- that's one thing. He's known for not wanting to defend, so he just falls. It's terrible, man."

Anderson said afterward that Cousins did not cross a line.

"No, no. Not at all," Anderson said. "That's a part of his game. He's a trash-talker and a physical guy. Don't get me wrong, he's one of the more talented guys in the NBA, so it's not a whole lot of guys who can guard him and stop him on a nightly basis. You just want to get physical with him and try not to give him easy looks and be as aggressive as you can with him. He doesn't like that so he's going to talk back to you about it, trash talk.

"It's a part of the game. It makes it fun, especially when you get a win. It makes it fun."

Cousins, however, expressed a different view.

"It is tough," he said. "It's unfair. It is what it is, man. That's not basketball."