The Nuggets were not happy after DeMarcus Cousins was ejected early in the fourth quarter of Game 1.
In the Warriors' 123-107 win over Denver at Chase Center on Saturday night, Cousins was ejected with 10:28 remaining in the game after receiving two technical fouls within seconds of one another.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Cousins, a notoriously fiery player, is no stranger to receiving technical fouls and has garnered quite the reputation throughout his 12-year NBA career, which included one year with the Warriors during the 2018-19 season that ended in a Game 6 loss to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who was courtside next to where the subsequent fouls were called by referees Karl Lane and Scott Foster, was left scratching his head.
"I asked Karl Lane after the game why the first technical was called," Malone told reporters after the game. "It happened right in front of me, I did not see or hear DeMarcus do anything from my vantage point that would have required a technical foul to be called. The ensuing one, I guess Scott Foster said he had a few choice words which warranted the second technical foul. Again, I did not see or hear anything for that first tech so that's something we can maybe look at and maybe speak to the league about. Because from my vantage point this didn't seem warranted."
Nuggets guard Will Barton couldn't remember what Cousins said or did that warranted the technical foul but understands that the 31-year-old center has a league-wide reputation and needs to be more aware in those moments.
"I don't know," Barton said postgame. "I was so caught up in the game. I think we had made a little push at that point ... then the techs happened. DeMarcus just has to be aware ... he knows his reputation, he knows that the slightest little thing is going to get him a technical foul so we have to talk to him and get him to understand that we can't have that."
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
RELATED: Poole somehow not among Most Improved Player finalists
The Warriors likely would have won regardless of whether Cousins was on the court or not for the remainder of the game, but if you're the Nuggets, that doesn't matter.
Against a healthy, re-energized Warriors squad, Denver can't afford to lose Boogie again for the rest of the series.