Denver Nuggets bounced back from a tough loss against the OKC Thunder, even without Nikola Jokic. Jokic was held out with a non-COVID illness, and DeMarcus Cousins started in his place.
The veteran center put up a vintage performance to will the Nuggets to a 101-116 win over the Denver Nuggets. Cousins put up 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists, shooting 10-of-14 from the field and three made threes.
“I was trying to take the best shots, trying to make the right play every possession,” Cousins said. “I play the game the right way.”
DeMarcus Cousins. That's it, that's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/G04POZAKue — Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 5, 2022
Cousins has spent the last two seasons of his career playing for multiple teams per season. Once an NBA All-Star, the center’s career derailed by serious foot injuries.
In a game that Will Barton became the all-time franchise leader in three-pointers, Cousins was the biggest reason the Nuggets came away with the win.
He was taken out of the game with just under two minutes remaining and got a hug from coach Michael Malone and an ovation from the crowd.
“It was very satisfying and it’s even better when you have a coach that believes in you, an organization that believes in you and teammates that have your back.
That’s all I’ve been searching for on this journey. I’ve found that right now and like I said earlier, I’m going to leave everything on the floor.”
In the last seven games, Cousins has averaged 8.3 points shooting 46 percent from the field. He also adds 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest.
Cousins could establish a role as a role player in the long term. He may not return to his All-Star form, but he can definitely offer instant scoring coming off the bench.
The Nuggets improved to 37-26 and they’re hoping to remain among the top-6 teams of the West even without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., who remain sidelined recovering from injuries.
Comments