O.J. Mayo had some choice words for DeMarcus Cousins Monday night, calling into question the Kings center's behavior and accusing him of intentionally punching him in the groin.
Replays appeared to show the below-the-belt hit in the second quarter of the Dallas Mavericks' 119-96 win over the Sacramento Kings. Though officials seemed to have missed the punch, Mayo and Cousins were called for double-technicals after subsequently yelling at each other with 3:25 left in the half, the Dallas Morning News notes.
After the game, Mayo called out Cousins for being immature and lacking the kind of focus that makes players great, while Cousins brushed the hit off as accidental.
"He's a talented player, has a chance to be an All-Star. But you do stuff like that, it takes you down a class," Mayo told ESPN Dallas. "That guy has some mental issues, man. He's a talented player. He has an opportunity to be the face of that organization, but I don't think he wants it."
This is Cousins' second altercation in as many weeks. In November, he was ejected from a game after arguing with an official who had called a technical on him for continuing to slap at the ball after the whistle ended the play. Though Cousins asserted that the referee cursed at him, Kings fans and writers are imploring the 22-year-old to show more restraint and live up to his potential as the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Mayo and Cousins will meet again when the Kings host the Mavericks on Jan. 10.