New Orleans center DeMarcus Cousins angrily protested he was protecting a rebound the way all big men are taught when he was ejected for a flagrant foul during Monday's victory over Oklahoma City.

Cousins was called for a flagrant-2 foul when he raised his right elbow near Thunder guard Russell Westbrook's head during the third quarter of the Pelicans' 114-107 win in New Orleans.

Cousins, who did not speak about the play until after Tuesday's practice, said Westbrook "did a good job of selling" the foul in the way he fell to the floor, holding his head.

"It's crazy. When you start playing the game of basketball as a big man, they tell you, 'When you get a rebound, keep your elbows high and out,' you know, to protect the ball from guards coming in stripping," Cousins said.

"All I did was use my fundamentals and I got punished for it."

Cousins, who has a history of on-court emotional outbursts that draw a relatively high number of technical fouls, said he knew officials would not give him the benefit of the doubt when they reviewed the play on a video monitor before ejecting him.

"I'm DeMarcus. I expected the ejection. I knew," said Cousins, who was assessed a league-high 18 technical fouls last season.

Cousins added that he's not sure what he can do differently, other than "send the refs a Christmas card - I don't know - the league, too. Send Christmas cards, stuff like that."

The play occurred under the Pelicans' basket in the third quarter after Cousins had secured a rebound.

When Cousins raised his elbows near Westbrook's face, the Thunder guard went down.

It wasn't clear from replays whether Cousins caught Westbrook in the head or shoulder, or if the contact was significant.

The league office reviews such plays before deciding on fines or additional punishment.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry agreed with Cousins' comment about rebounding fundamentals, saying that Pelicans coaches also tell their big men to use their elbows to help secure rebounds.

"I don't think he had any intent of hurting anyone," Gentry said. "I don't think there's anything that was done from a malicious or intentional standpoint."

Associated Press