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Golden State Warriors centre DeMarcus Cousins has torn his left quad, reports Shams Charania.
This likely ends Cousins’ season just two games into the playoffs, though the Warriors will re-evaluate in a couple of weeks to see if the All-Star centre can return.
Golden State suffered a record-breaking loss on Monday night, conceding a 31-point lead as the Los Angeles Clippers completed the biggest comeback in NBA Playoffs history. The series is 1-1 as they head to Staples Center.
Cousins signed for the Warriors last offseason as he recovered from an Achilles injury. It was a long, arduous road to return to NBA action for Cousins. His latest injury is fortunately not as severe, and is unlikely to require surgery, but it is a frustrating turn of events for one of the NBA’s best big men.
Having not made the playoffs while playing for the Sacramento Kings, Cousins was traded to the Pelicans last season and looked set for a deep run alongside Anthony Davis.
His Achilles injury derailed the campaign and meant Cousins had to wait for his postseason debut. Just two games into his playoff career, Cousins has suffered another injury. As a free agent this offseason, who knows when we will next see him in the postseason.
Cruel is probably the best word to describe the misfortune Cousins has suffered over the last two seasons. Golden State will have to adapt again, and this breaks up their five-All-Star line-up, but it doesn’t drastically weaken them. This team won two championships without Cousins – they obviously remain overwhelming favourites to threepeat.
This is good news for the Clippers and every team hoping to beat the Warriors. For the NBA, though, this is a real shame. Cousins is an entertainer and an elite talent – postseason basketball is better when the best players are on show. It could be a long wait before we see Cousins complete a playoff series.
