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. 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 The last two seasons Cousins has needed to have a technical foul rescinded by the league to avoid the automatic suspension that comes when a player reaches 16 technicals.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. Ryan Helsley .Y. - The New York Yankees made it official Saturday, announcing the completion of a seven-year deal with free-agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and a one-year contract for returning starter Hiroki Kuroda. Yairo Munoz . The Red Sox maintained a share of the AL wild-card lead Tuesday night, using four home runs to beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 and set up a dramatic conclusion to the regular season. The skidding Red Sox were 6-19 this month before rebounding to edge the last-place Orioles. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/...ge-1331q.html.Y. -- The New York Islanders were seeking a positive finish to a frustrating season on home ice. Jack Flaherty . With a win tonight, Buehrle will match Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka for the most wins in the majors with 11. Buehrle is 10-4 with a 2.32 earned run average, but has lost his last three starts, including a 7-3 setback at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday. Bobby Tolan . - Defensive end-linebacker Mike Neal apparently is returning to the Packers.PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. -- The Swift Current Broncos moved into a tie with Prince Albert for first place in the Western Hockey Leagues East Division with a 4-3 overtime win over the Raiders on Wednesday. Graham Black scored the winner for the Broncos, who won their fifth in a row. Coda Gordon and Jake DeBrusk scored in the first period for Swift Current (11-8-1), and Connor Sanvido made it 3-1 Broncos in the second. Dylan Busenius and Reid Gardiner scored for Prince Albert (11-7-1) in the second period, and Josh Morrissey got the equalizer in the third. Eetu Laurikainen made 24 saves for Swift Current, and Cole Cheveldave, who got an assist on Morrisseys goal, stopped 35 shots for the Raiders. --- PATS 5 HURRICANES 2 LETHBRIDGE, Alta. -- Morgan Klimchuks hat trick led Regina past the Hurricanes. Klimchuks hat trick, which included a short-handed goal and another on the power play, gave the Pats (10-9-0) a 4-0 lead. Jesse Zgraggen and Connor Gay also scored for the Pats. Reid Duke and Axel Blomqvist replied for WHL-worst Lethbridge (2-14-3). Regina goaltender Dawson MacAuley finished with 30 saves, while Hurricanes goalie Corbin Boes stopped 41 shots. --- CHIEFS 5 TIGERS 4 (OT) MEDICINE HAT, Alta. -- Mitch Holmbergs goal in overtime lifted Spokane past the Tigers. Holmberg scored 1:58 into OT for the Chiefs (13-6-0), while Mike Aviani had two in regulation and Adam Helewka and Riley Whittingham added singles. Markus Eisenschmid, Miles Koules, Cole Sanford and Trevor Cox had goals for Western Conference-leading Medicine Hat (11-3-3). Spokane goaltender Eric Williams and his Tigers counterpart Marek Langhamer each made 31 saves. --- AMERICANS 3 WINTERHAWKS 2 PORTLAND, Ore. -- Tri-City rallied from a 2-0 deficit to bbeat the WHL-leading Winterhawks.dddddddddddd Brian Williams, Connor Rankin and Parker Bowles had a goal apiece for the Americans (11-8-2). Taylor Leier and Chase De Leo gave Portland (14-4-1) its lead. Evan Sarthou stopped 24 shots for Tri-City, while Brendan Burke made 27 saves for Portland. --- SILVERTIPS 3 BLAZERS 1 EVERETT, Wash. -- The Silvertips scored three unanswered goals en route to a win over Kamloops. Manraj Hayer, Joshua Winquist and Ivan Nikolishin each scored for Everett (12-3-2). Aspen Sterzer scored the lone goal for the Blazers (6-11-2) with just over a minute left in the third period. Everetts Daniel Cotton needed to make just 17 saves for the win, while Taran Kozun stopped 35 shots for Kamloops. --- ROCKETS 6 REBELS 2 KELOWNA, B.C. -- The Rockets came out firing with four consecutive goals in the first period against Red Deer. Riley Stadel, Madison Bowey, Damon Severson, Zach Franko, Carter Rigby and Rourke Chartier scored for Kelowna (11-2-2). Dominik Volek and Brooks Maxwell had the goals for the Rebels (7-10-1). Rockets goaltender Jordon Cooke stopped only 16 shots, while Patrik Bartosak and Taz Burman combined for 38 saves in net for Red Deer. --- OIL KINGS 5 ROYALS 0 VICTORIA -- Edgars Kulda scored a short-handed goal as Edmonton cruised past the Royals Kuldas first-period goal came with teammate Cole Benson in the penalty box for a too many men on the ice call. Henrik Samuelsson, Benson, Ben Carroll and Brett Pollock also scored for the Oil Kings (10-7-1), while Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots for the shutout. Patrik Polivka was pulled from Victorias (10-8-1) net after giving up three goals on 18 shots. He was replaced by Coleman Vollrath, who stopped 22-of-24 shots. ' ' '