New Orleans Pelicans NBA Roster, Injury News 2018: DeMarcus Cousins Out for the Season With Torn Achilles
The New Orleans Pelicans' playoff hopes just took a massive blow after DeMarcus Cousins suffered an Achilles injury in the final seconds of their 115–113 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
People within the organization already feared the worst even before he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to determine the extent of the damage, and on Saturday, the Pelicans released a statement confirming that Cousins tore his left Achilles tendon.
The four-time All-Star will have to undergo surgery to repair the damage on his Achilles and he has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2017–18 season.
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"I feel horrible for him," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said after Friday's game, via ESPN. "Everything that he's done, and what he's tried to do for us this year, and what he's made himself, and the improvements in all areas that he's made on and off the court, has just been great. I don't want that to happen to a guy that's trying to better himself," he continued.
The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Cousins because he's in a contract year. He has also been playing really well this season and he just had a historic 44 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists game against the Chicago Bulls last Monday.
Now the Pelicans will have to lean on Anthony Davis to lead them into the playoffs.
"We were just getting it," All-Star forward Davis said. "We were just figuring everything out. That's the tough part. We've just got to keep going. We've got to keep going and keep finding a way to win," he added.
Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks in under 37 minutes a game this season. He also shot 47 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three-point range, and 74.6 percent from the free-throw line.
