Boogie Cousins was not happy after that game-winning dunk by Deandre Ayton.
The Phoenix Suns won Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals in dramatic fashion Tuesday night as Deandre Ayton’s buzzer-beating alley-oop on an inbounds play gave the Suns a 104-103 win at home and a 2-0 series lead.
It was an incredible play that had to be run to perfection to be pulled off, which it was. NBA fans rightfully went nuts over the play because it was a thing of beauty that deserves to be celebrated.
Moments after that play, however, Clippers backup center Boogie Cousins was seen angrily pushing Suns star Devin Booker.
This moment kind of got lost in the madness that followed that dunk by Ayton:
After getting waived by the Houston Rockets, former Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins is set to join the Los Angeles Clippers.
Before the regular season’s final push towards the playoffs, it looks like a former member of the Golden State Warriors has a new squad. After stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, DeMarcus Cousins could be on his way to the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Clippers are planning to sign Cousins pending clearance of the NB’s health and safety protocols.
The Los Angeles Clippers plan to sign center DeMarcus Cousins, pending clearance of NBA health and safety protocols, multiple sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
As a member of the Warriors during the 2018-19 season, Cousins averaged 16.3 points on 48% shooting from the field with 8.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30 games.
After spending the 2019-20 season sidelined with the Lakers due to a torn ACL, the Kentucky Wildcats product played 25 games with the Rockets in the 2020-21 run. With Houston, Wiseman averaged 9.6 points on 37.6% shooting from the field with 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per contest.
With the Rockets looking towards the future with Christian Wood in the frontcourt, Cousins was waived on Feb. 23. Fast forward towards the end of March, Cousins could now have the opportunity to contribute towards a postseason run with the Clippers.
Along with adding Cousins in the buyout market, the Clippers acquired veteran point guard Rajon Rondo from the Atlanta Hawks for Lou Williams. Behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers sit at No. 3 in the Western Conference standings with a 32-17 record.
“My body’s in a great place, my mind is in a great place,” Cousins said Thursday. “I’m just ready to play basketball, the game I love.”
To put it mildly, the last three NBA seasons have been a grind for new Houston Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins.
“To hell and back,” Cousins said of his journey. The 30-year-old spoke at Toyota Center, where training camp is underway for next season.
In 2017-18, Cousins’ season in New Orleans was limited to 48 games after tearing his left Achilles in January. The 6-foot-10 big man then played only 30 regular-season games with Golden State in 2018-19, following the Achilles recovery. He felt healthier heading into the playoffs, only to tear his left quadriceps muscle early in the first round.
Cousins then signed with the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers prior to the 2019-20 season, but he never played a game for them after tearing the ACL in his left knee during an offseason workout.
To say the least, rehabilitating a torn Achilles, ACL, and quadriceps muscle within a two-year span — and all to the same leg — makes for a brutal recovery process. But by age, Cousins is still in his prime NBA years, and he says he’s finally feeling well heading into the 2020-21 season.
Here’s a few snippets of what Cousins said Thursday.
How he feels now:
Man, I feel incredible. Obviously, it was a tough task mentally, physically, but at the same time I was able to rest my body, a much-needed rest. Coming back off of that has been incredible. My body is in a great place, my mind is in a great place, and I’m just ready to get back on the floor and play basketball, play the game I love.
To hell and back … I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you the task was tough, but now I think I’m built for it. I took it in stride. I just fought through. I willed my way through. I learned a lot about myself, just life in general, even though it was a tough time in my life. … I think I’ve grown in a lot of areas of my life. I know everybody’s story is different. This just happens to be mine. So, you know, I’m going to roll with the punches.
I feel like I went through a situation that a lot of people would probably give up and quit. I just took it as this is my life lesson. It’s just preparing me for whatever’s next. Life is full of adversity. Every battle that you go through prepares you for the next one. I’m not the only person that’s going through hard times or that has gone through hard times. And I’m not saying I went through the worst situation. But just when those times come, just fight through.
On his inspiration to keep coming back:
It’s moreso my upbringing. I watched my mom work two jobs with six kids, her entire life. So who am I to complain about some adversity? Life is full of adversity. Me going through the things I’ve gone through, I will be prepared.
The complete media session with Cousins — a four-time NBA All-Star, prior to those leg injuries — can be watched below, in its entirety. Friday’s interview schedule will be released later in the morning.
Cousins is one of only 11 players in NBA history with career averages of at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
With training camp for the 2020-21 season set to begin in Houston and other NBA cities, the Rockets on Tuesday officially announced the much-anticipated addition of four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
Now 30 years old, Cousins is on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract as he works to prove his health after a series of major leg injuries. He only played in 30 regular-season games over the last two years, combined.
If he’s finally healthy, though, Cousins’ career production could make that deal a major bargain for the Rockets. From the team’s press release:
Cousins (6-10, 270) was originally the fifth overall pick by Sacramento in the 2010 NBA Draft. The four-time All-Star appeared in 565 career games with 543 starts while averaging 21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.42 steals, and 1.23 blocks. Cousins earned All-NBA Second Team honors in both 2014-15 and 2015-16.
He is one of 11 players in NBA history with career averages of at least 20.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, and 3.0 apg. Since steals and blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74, Hall of Famer Bob Lanier is the only other player with career averages of at least 20.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.00 spg, and 1.00 bpg (Lanier played three seasons prior to steals and blocks being tracked).
Cousins last played for Golden State during the 2019 NBA Finals and averaged 16.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 bpg in 25.7 mpg for the Warriors in the 2018-19 regular season. He is the only player in NBA history to have averaged at least 15.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, and 3.0 apg in fewer than 27.0 mpg in a single season.
When group work at training camp begins on Sunday, Dec. 6, Cousins should initially slide in as Houston’s backup center to Christian Wood. But if Cousins proves to be healthy — and early indications seem to be positive — there is clearly room for his role with the Rockets to grow.
“DeMarcus Cousins worked out and impressed the organization, quelling any health concerns,” Chris Haynes said. “He’s as hungry as ever.”
Prior to signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Houston Rockets for one season, DeMarcus Cousins worked out for the team on Monday.
Per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, that workout in Houston “impressed the organization, quelling any health concerns.”
“He’s as hungry as ever,” Haynes tweeted of Cousins, who has previously played for Sacramento, New Orleans, and Golden State.
Health is the clear storyline to watch with Cousins. Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-10, 270-pound center made the Western Conference All-Star team in four straight years from 2015 through 2018. A powerful yet agile big man, Cousins has averaged 21.2 points (46.1% FG) and 10.9 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game over his nine NBA seasons.
Yet, Cousins was available for a limited investment due to continued bad luck with injuries. He tore his Achilles midway through the 2017-18 season, which also cut short his availability for the ensuing 2018-19 year. Then, after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2019, he tore the ACL in his knee during offseason workouts and missed all of 2019-20.
Yahoo Sources: Former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins worked out for the Houston Rockets today and impressed the organization, quelling any health concerns. He’s as hungry as ever.
Cousins is believed to be healthy now and ready for the 2020-21 season, but it remains to be seen how much of his prior form that he will be able to recapture after the series of brutal leg injuries.
From Houston’s perspective, though, it’s a low-risk, high-reward transaction. With newcomer Christian Wood set to start at center, Cousins can begin the 2020-21 season — assuming he makes the roster out of training camp, of course — with limited backup minutes, allowing the four-time All-Star to ease his way back in. And if Cousins proves worthy of more minutes than expected, that’s a good “problem” to have.
At 6-foot-10 and roughly 220 pounds, Wood is certainly athletic enough to play at power forward in larger lineups alongside Cousins, should “Boogie” earn those additional minutes. Both Wood and Cousins have shown an ability to hit 3-pointers, so the floor would still be spaced.
Training camp for the 2020-21 season opens next Tuesday, Dec. 1.
[lawrence-related id=40779,40675]
Cousins, like Christian Wood, can and will shoot threes. He took over 6 triples a game in his final season with New Orleans, hitting 35.4%. Solid FT shooter. He's a load offensively. Concerns will be health and willingness to play complementary role.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, former Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins is receiving “early attention” in free agency.
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Although the Golden State Warriors have been quiet since the open of the free agency window, former members of the team are garnering interest in the NBA market.
After missing the Los Angeles Lakers 2019-20 season with a torn ACL in his left leg, DeMarcus Cousins could soon ink a new contract. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Cousins is “getting some early attention” on the first night of free agency.
Prior to joining LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers last offseason, Cousins spent one campaign with the Golden State Warriors. In the 2018 offseason, the Kentucky Wildcats product joined Golden State on a $5.7 million midlevel exception.
As he returned from tearing his Achilles with the New Orleans Pelicans, Cousins played 30 games with Golden State, averaging 16.3 points on 48.0% shooting from the field with 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals in 25.7 minutes per game.
Although he battled injuries, Cousins showed glimpses of his former All-Star caliber, recording double-double performances in 10 contests for the Warriors. In early April of 2019 against the Denver Nuggets, Cousins recorded a season-high 28 points on 12-for-17 shooting from the field with 13 boards, five assists, two steals and two blocks in 29 minutes for Golden State.
In the following offseason, Cousins tore his ACL at a workout in Las Vegas just one month after signing with the Lakers. Before the start of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble, the Lakers waived Cousins.
For his career, Cousins has earned four nods to the NBA All-Star Team, averaging 21.2 points on 46.1% shooting from the field with 10.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. In 2015 and 2016, the former first-round pick was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
Although the Warriors recently drafted 7-foot-1 prospect James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could look for a veteran to pair alongside the 19-year-old big man. At only 30-years-old, Cousins could be a name to consider.
