Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins was hit with a technical foul in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game against Charlotte for tossing a shoe off the court.

Warriors’ Cousins Tosses Shoe Vs. Hornets

The Kentucky product is known for his aggression and racking up techs, but the former seems a lot more warranted than the latter in this situation.

With 4 minutes and 51 seconds left in the game, Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb‘s shoe popped off near the free throw line. Cousins reached down from the hazard and tossed it off the court, seemingly so nobody would trip over it and get injured. Official Brian Forte blew a whistle and then Cousins, who missed nearly a year after tearing his Achilles tendon while on the New Orleans Pelicans, went to plead his case.

“Next time I’ll just step on the shoe and roll my ankle, break it, tear an Achilles,” Cousins said after the game. “Just leave it out there next time. I guess that’s what they want. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The NBA, known for player empowerment, shot down a player trying to remove a hazard while five All-Stars — Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Kemba Walker and Cousins himself —, were on the court. This wasn’t a threat or an attempt to hurt anyone, it was a safety precaution. Imagine if one of those players had rolled their ankle?

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Green stood by his teammate but also said that besides that call the refs were spot on. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that,” Green said. “But that’s crazy. It’s sitting in the middle of the floor. I don’t know. We have all these rules for player safety. You can barely contest a shot without getting a foul, but you’re supposed to leave a shoe sitting there. It’s just kind of crazy to me, but it is what it is. I thought Brian Forte reffed a great game tonight, so that’s one call that’s a little questionable. But he was spot on with some calls, so I thought he reffed a great game.”

Though frustrated with the call, Cousins admitted that he was happy to play a season-high 31 minutes after being capped at 25 prior to the All-Star Game. He also had a season-high 24 points on top of 11 rebounds and three blocks.

“This was the happiest he’s looked,” Coach Steve Kerr said about Cousins’ play. “He looked the most comfortable tonight. And he made a couple moves around the hoop where he showed great agility — this is the best he’s looked.”

“I’m more happy about that than the actual game,” Cousins said. “I made sure to give Steve a big hug after this.”

The NBA released a statement late Monday night explaining that Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard should not have been ejected for hanging on the rim.

NBA Statement: Dwight Howard Should Not Have Been Tossed For Hanging On Rim

In the Hawks’ 114-98 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Monday, Howard was called for his second technical foul with about four minutes remaining in the third quarter after hanging on the rim on a dunk.

Howard’s first technical came after he pushed Al Horford as a response to the Celtics All-Star’s foul on him, and the TD Garden crowd began booing. The Hawks center also fouled Isaiah Thomas by grabbing him near his neck, shortly before receiving his first technical.

In its statement, the NBA said Howard’s second technical for hanging on the rim “should have been deemed non-unsportsmanlike and should not have resulted in his ejection.”

Howard recorded 17 points and 12 rebounds before being tossed.

“It was a good team win,” Howard said. “I apologized to the guys and told them I need to do a better job of keeping my composure and some other things and they understood.”

Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said seeing his team win a physical issue is a good sign.

”I thought that was the thing that maybe stood out. We had an edge, we had a competitive, just a level that you need to compete in this league,” he said. ”I think the group understands what that is.”

The Hawks snapped a three-game skid with the win, while the Celtics ended a seven-game home winning streak.

Boston struggled all night offensively, despite guard Avery Bradley returning to the starting lineup after missing 22 of the previous 23 games with a right Achilles tendon injury. Bradley scored six points in 15 minutes of play.

”I just feel like we played hard enough,” Bradley said. ”In the second half they played harder than us. They punked us.”

The Hakws next begin a six-game homestand Wednesday night against Dallas, while the Celtics will host the Eastern conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers that night. Boston lost the first two games at Cleveland this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcO7oZM6Ejk

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 27: Dwight Howard #8 of the Atlanta Hawks is ejected from the game following his second technical foul against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter at TD Garden on February 27, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.