Paul and Cousins

A powder keg only needed a match to explode.

Tang Tian's words were that match.

Cousins's face instantly turned green, and he was about to confront Tang Tian.

Fortunately, Tucker had been watching Cousins while shooting free throws earlier. He leaped over and held him back, talking to him nonstop to calm him down.

The Rockets were locked in a stalemate with the Pelicans by relying on Cousins's advantage inside. If Cousins blew up, the situation on the court would become extremely unfavorable for the Rockets.

Tucker was undersized but strong, and with his constant persuading, he finally managed to calm Cousins down for the moment.

On the Rockets' possession, Paul continued feeding Cousins after crossing half court.

Cousins viciously backed Jokic down.

Tucker had talked him down, but he was still full of anger and was now taking it all out on Jokic.

Their physical confrontation produced a series of dull thuds.

Cousins backed him down near the paint, then put all his strength into trying to knock Jokic away for a direct dunk.

At that moment, Jokic suddenly gave way, and Cousins sent him crashing to the floor.

With no point of leverage, Cousins nearly fell over himself. He only barely stayed upright thanks to his powerful body control.

Beep!

However, the referee's whistle immediately sounded, signaling an Offensive Foul on Cousins.

Jokic was still lying on the floor. When he saw the referee's signal, he excitedly pumped his fist.

Toughness on a basketball court was not just about fighting through contact. Knowing you could not win a physical battle yet stubbornly forcing it anyway was simply stupid.

Many smart players relied on both skill and intelligence.

Jokic was that kind of player.

After several possessions, he already knew he could not physically overpower Cousins, but he could