It’s been a long basketball journey for DeMarcus Cousins, and he deserves credit for continuing it.
Cousins, one of the NBA’s highest-scoring players before his Achilles injury in 2018, has been on five teams over the past four seasons as he seeks to reclaim his league footing. Although he’s been struggling to find consistent rotation minutes lately, he’s more than capable of making a huge impact on the offensive side, as he proved in the Denver Nuggets’ 116-101 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Replacing reigning MVP Nikola Jokic as the starting center, Cousins posted 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 23 minutes. It was Cousins’ first 30-point game since January 2018, when he scored 44 points with the New Orleans Pelicans shortly before his Achilles injury.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time. Obviously I know how to play this game,” Cousins said after his monstrous performance. “Just play ball. The rest will follow you.”
One of the most experienced big men the league has ever seen, Cousins began working early and often with smaller, younger Houston defensemen. He finished 10 of 14 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-pointers, 8 of 9 from the free throw line and was plus-10 per game.
Cousins received a standing ovation from the audience at Ball Arena when he retired in the fourth quarter and later expressed his gratitude to his new fans.
“From day one, they were just reaching out to me,” Cousins said of the Nuggets fans after the game. “I’m very grateful for that and I’m going to come here and kick ass for them every night.”
The Nuggets are now 11-1 when the Cousins play, typically duplicating Jokic by 10–15 minutes per game. Initially joining Denver on a 10-day contract after a stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, Cousins signed for the remainder of the season in late February. He could become a valuable player in the postseason when matches dictate his skill set as the Nuggets wait for the potential return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
“We just have to keep growing as a team,” Cousins said. “Keep building winning habits, get rid of the bad habits we have, go out and get strong starts like today, and just keep growing as a team.”