Cousins Could Be Back During Conference Finals

Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins could return to action during the Western Conference finals, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets.

Cousins suffered a partially torn quad muscle in the Warriors’ opening-round series against the Clippers on April 15th.

Initially, Cousins was ruled out indefinitely and many people anticipated he would have to sit out the remainder of the postseason. But he said earlier this week he’s hopeful of playing again during Golden State’s drive for a third consecutive championship.

“For me, my goal is I ain’t planning on sitting,” Cousins said. “I don’t know the reality of it. But for me, that is not what I’m planning on doing. … It’s definitely some type of bad movie. But I think it will have a very nice ending. Just wait for it.”

Cousins’ injury occurred in a non-contact situation after he made a steal. The injury did not require surgery and he’s made steady progress during his rehab. If he doesn’t have any setbacks, he could give the club a major boost inside with his scoring and rebounding. It’s still unknown how much time Kevin Durant will miss due to a calf strain suffered in Game 5 against Houston.

Cousins spent a year rehabbing from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered while playing for the Pelicans. He made his Warriors debut on January 18th.

He could also give his free agent stock a boost if he returns and plays well. He’ll be on the open market once again this offseason.