The Warriors won another playoff series -- and might have regained DeMarcus Cousins in the process.
The Golden State big man, who tore his left quad last month during the first-round series against the LA Clippers, could rejoin the Warriors' roster during the Western Conference finals, the New York Times' Marc Stein reported Friday night, citing league sources.
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The key phrase in Stein's Cousins report might be "if he maintains his recent progress." Two days before the Warriors closed out their second-round series against the Houston Rockets, Cousins was spotted at the practice facility doing drills, lightly jogging and getting up shots. While it didn't seem like a return was imminent, it was progress nonetheless.
[RELATED: Boogie expects to return during the playoffs]
With the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets lined up as possible Warriors Western Conference opponents, starting with Game 1 on Tuesday, the timing couldn't be better. Cousins would be a nice counter to Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and the Blazers' big man trio of Enes Kanter, Meyers Leonard and Zach Collins, especially during physical playoff games in which every possession and every rebound matters. As well as Kevon Looney played in Cousins' stead against the Rockets, Boogie's All-Star skill set cannot be matched by many centers in the league.
Add this news on top of the possibility that Kevin Durant could return from his right calf strain, and, as Stein noted, the Warriors quickly could be back at full strength. That would be bad news for the NBA and thrilling news in the Bay.