The NBA suspended Sacramento Kings centre DeMarcus Cousins for one game and fined him $20,000 on Thursday for punching an opposing player and verbally abusing an official in a game earlier this week. Shareef Abdur-Rahim Grizzlies Jersey . The league suspended Cousins for punching Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley in the stomach with 9:44 remaining in the first quarter of the Kings 129-103 loss on Tuesday night in Sacramento. Cousins was fined for verbally abusing official Courtney Kirkland and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following an ejection with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter. Cousins will serve his suspension when the Kings visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. New Kings owner Vivek Ranadive had hoped Cousins could clean up his act when he signed the centre to a four-year, $62 million contract extension before the season. Instead, Cousins leads the NBA with 15 technical fouls this season and will be suspended one game by the NBA if he gets another one. The last two seasons Cousins has needed to have a technical foul rescinded by the league to avoid the automatic suspension that comes when a player reaches 16 technicals. In the Houston game, Cousins was called for a technical after getting whistled for a foul against Dwight Howard and arguing against it. Cousins picked up his fifth personal foul moments later, then got called for another technical foul -- earning an automatic ejection -- after screaming in the face of Kirkland during a timeout. Cousins had to be held back by coaches and teammates, pointing his finger and screaming at Kirkland. He flicked his headband into the stands on his way to the locker room. Cousins has since apologized for his behaviour, which has become a troubling trend through his career, even going back to high school and his one season at Kentucky. The 23-year-old centre has mixed in dramatic and astonishing plays with outbursts against players, coaches and referees. He has dazzled at times during his first four NBA seasons, and at other times struggled with defence and discipline. Last season alone, Cousins drew multiple reprimands for his behaviour. He was suspended one game without pay by the NBA for striking O.J. Mayo in the groin during a loss at Dallas. Following a defeat at San Antonio, the league suspended Cousins two games without pay for confronting Spurs announcer Sean Elliott in a "hostile manner." Finally, the Kings suspended Cousins for one game for "unprofessional behaviour and conduct detrimental to the team" after he shouted at Kings coach Keith Smart in the locker room during halftime of a loss at the Los Angeles Clippers. His behaviour aside, Cousins is having the best season of his career and is blossoming into one of the NBAs best big men. Hes averaging career highs of 22.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Hes also shooting a career-best 48.3 per cent. Zach Randolph Grizzlies Jersey .Y. -- Dwane Casey admitted hed been concerned about his young Raptors team who had zero experience playing in close-out games -- what awaited them with the vastly-experienced Brooklyn Nets, and how theyd react. Kyle Anderson Jersey .Y. - Carey Price had an early feeling that one goal might be enough to settle the latest matchup between his Montreal Canadiens and longtime Original Six foe, the New York Rangers. http://www.grizzliesbasketballpro.info/customized/ .Manager Brendan Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo on Friday that Sturridge pulled his calf muscle in training as he prepared to return from a five-week layoff due to a thigh strain.DETROIT -- One swing, two milestones. All part of a memorable night for Detroit rookie Eugenio Suarez. Suarez homered for his first hit in the majors, and the Detroit Tigers beat Boston 8-6 Saturday night, sending the Red Sox to their fifth straight loss. Miguel Cabrera had three hits for the Tigers, who have won all five games against the Red Sox this season after losing to them in the AL championship series last year. Suarezs solo shot in the fourth came in the shortstops third at-bat since he was called up from the minors earlier in the week. "I hit that ball hard," Suarez said. "I feel very happy for that hit, for that home run. Ill never forget that first hit, my first start in the big leagues." Suarez became the first Detroit player to accomplish his first career homer and first career hit at the same time since Wilkin Ramirez on May 20, 2009. Ramirez hasnt homered in the majors since. Suarez made his debut as a substitute Wednesday and hurt his knee sliding into second, but he was in the starting lineup Saturday. Nick Castellanos also homered for the Tigers, and Dustin Pedroia went deep for Boston. Detroit closer Joe Nathan allowed two runs in the ninth in a non-save situation, but retired Stephen Drew on a flyout with two on to end it. Nathan has an ERA of 7.04 this year. "We just wanted to get him an inning. Were going to need Joe Nathan," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "We wanted to get him out there and let him throw some pitches, and kind of work through this. He threw more pitches than we wanted, obviously, but was able to get through it." Max Scherzer (7-2) allowed four runs and 11 hits in 6 2-3 innings for the Tigers. He struck out nine and walked one. Jon Lester (6-7) allowed five runs and 12 hits in 4 1-3 innings. Castellanos and Austin Jackson had three hits for the AL Central-leading Tigers, who had lost five straight before taking the first two games of this series. They scored two runs in the first off Lester on an RBI double by Victor Martinez and a run-scoring single by Torii Hunter. Rajai Davis added an RBI single in the second. Castellanos hit aa solo homer in the third. Memphis Grizzlies Jerseys. After Pedroias solo homer in the fourth, Suarez led off the bottom half with a drive that carried past the fence in left for a 5-1 Detroit lead. Lester entered the day with 95 strikeouts, the third-most in the American League, but he didnt fan a single Detroit hitter. "I didnt feel good from the first toss in the bullpen to the last pitch I threw in the game. Against that offence, that means a long night," Lester said. "I flat-out wasted this game and the performance by our offence." The Red Sox chipped away against Scherzer. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit an RBI single in the fifth, and Drew added one in the sixth. In the bottom half, Ian Kinsler hit an RBI triple and scored on a single by Cabrera. David Ortiz chased Scherzer with an RBI double in the seventh to make it 7-4, but Al Alburquerque came on and got Grady Sizemore to ground out with runners on second and third for the third out. Boston is now in the middle of another long streak. The Red Sox lost 10 in a row, then won seven straight before their current skid. Bostons Xander Bogaerts stole third in bizarre fashion in the ninth when Castellanos left the base unattended to shift from his normal spot at third to the right side of the infield with Ortiz batting. Bogaerts took off for third, and Nathan ran over from the mound and tried to tag him but couldnt get to third in time. NOTES: Boston manager John Farrell said RHP Clay Buchholz (left knee) had his simulated game pushed back to Sunday. It was initially scheduled for Saturday in Detroit. ... Castellanos became the first Tigers rookie to have three straight three-hit games since Rick Peters in 1980. ... Martinez hit into a rare 5-6-3 double play in the sixth, with the Boston defence shifted. ... Farrell won a challenge in the sixth after Pedroia was initially called out at first. Pedroia ended up with an infield single after the replay review, and he would finish with three hits. Daniel Nava also had three hits for the Red Sox. ... Detroit will try for a regular-season sweep of the Red Sox on Sunday when RHP Anibal Sanchez (2-2) faces Boston RHP John Lackey (6-4). ' ' '