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Divac responds to Boogie's suspension comments: 'I love DeMarcus Cousins'

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Sacramento Kings All-Star DeMarcus Cousins is pointing the finger right at head coach George Karl when it comes to his recent one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

Team general manager Vlade Divac was the one who handed out the punishment, however, Cousins believes it was Karl pulling the strings behind closed doors.

Related: Cousins says suspension came from coach, not Kings

"That wasn't a suspension from the organization," Cousins said. "That was one from the head coach. There's a difference."

When made aware of "Boogie's" opinion, Divac, with a smile on his face, kept his answer brief.

"I love DeMarcus Cousins," Divac said, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears. "That is my only comment."

It's evident that Cousins' frustrations with the organization have reached a boiling point. The Kings dropped their fifth game in a row and ninth in their last 10 outings on Sunday in a 108-99 loss to the Utah Jazz, putting the team well out of reach of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

It's disheartening for Cousins, who not only hasn't qualified for the postseason since entering the league, but hasn't even surpassed the 30-win mark. Even though he's been down this road before, the 6-foot-11 juggernaut acknowledges that this campaign may be the most difficult of his career, with reasons extending well beyond the basketball court.

"There is a lot of chaos," Cousins said. "Usually, there is just frustration with coming out and winning games. But so much extra stuff this season. Extra unnecessary stuff. It's a lot of stuff within.

"There are battles with guys that should be on your side."

Cousins is clearly referring to Karl, who he reportedly believes doesn't stick up for his players when necessary, which is why the two got into a heated argument during a team huddle on Wednesday when the Kings hosted the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.

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