Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns Game 6 Preview, Odds & Prediction | Basketball initiates
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns Game 6 Preview, Odds & Prediction | Basketball initiates
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There was a time when it wasn’t clear whether DeMarcus Cousins would ever play basketball again.
During the 2017-18 season, Cousins was set to place the New Orleans Pelicans in one of the NBA’s elite teams alongside Anthony Davis when he suffered an injury. to the Achilles tendon ending the season. The injury cost him a potential maximum contract, and he signed with the Golden State Warriors this offseason on a minimum contract.
His only season with the Warriors in 2018-19 derailed with a quad injury and the following year with the Los Angeles Lakers, an ACL tear at training camp kept him out of the way the entire time. year. It was just brutal luck for a player who was once an All-Star talent and a franchise.
The Houston Rockets gave Cousins a shot at the start of this season and it actually looked like he could still be a productive NBA player, scoring 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per. match. But the Rockets ended up cutting it just before the trade deadline.
He was out of the league for a few months before the Los Angeles Clippers came up with a 10-day contract. Serge Ibaka was out of the lineup with a back injury, but even then the Clippers had nothing to promise him about his role.
“We just told him that right now we don’t know what the situation will be, but be ready to play if your name is called,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue told media after the win. ‘team in Game 5 against the Phoenix. Suns. “He worked every day, five against five with the young people, played, got ready. I just told him, I never know, I can’t tell you if we’re gonna play big or small. Just be prepared and before the game starts the day before I will try to let you know if we are going to play you or not. And he was great.
As the playoffs approached, Cousins’ role fluctuated depending on the clashes. He didn’t play against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, and he played the first two games against the Utah Jazz before Lue went for smaller squads and Nicolas Batum in the middle as he decided to do against Dallas.
But here in the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Cousins might end up being the reason the Clippers’ resilient playoffs continue. Already without Kawhi Leonard and Ibaka, the Clippers discovered they would be without the services of Ivica Zubac who suffered an MCL sprain in Game 4.
Lue chose to come back small with Marcus Morris as a starting center, but it was Cousins who provided a much needed spark. His intensity and state of mind was just what the Clippers needed as they managed to hold off elimination for at least one more night.
“It’s always about being ready to go. I realize the situation at the end. All I can do is be ready when my name is called, so control what I can control, ”Cousins said. “I’m not going to change, my state of mind isn’t changing. When I walk on the floor I feel like I am the best on the floor no matter who is in front of me. And I know for a fact that no one can keep me one-on-one. So my state of mind doesn’t change, I’m just waiting for my opportunity.
In Game 5, Cousins brought a physical presence to the paint and he took full advantage of Phoenix’s second smaller unit. He finished with 15 points, scoring consistently around the basket. He also distributed three assists, showing flashes of the once-tall and versatile all-round great man he was.
If the Clippers are to continue to expand this series and maybe even win it, they’ll need more performances like this from Cousins. While his mobility is clearly not what it used to be, his skill is still there and he can still be effective in limited minutes, especially when taking on Dario Saric who has taken on the role of the Suns’ save center.
“He’s slowing the game down for us which is a good thing because he’s still a big dominant and requires a double team. I think it’s a big break for us when we play spread and fast paced for Cuz to slow down the game at times when we can throw it out there and get the production, ”Paul George told the media after Game 5. “It brings tenacity. This is what this team is proud of. We have tenacity from top to bottom and Cuz just adds to that.
While injuries and team direction played a big part in Cousins’ role in his previous stops after New Orleans, he credits the culture and organization of the Clippers as a whole for having him allowed to be so comfortable and to have accepted that what is asked of him could change. on a game-to-game basis.
“I think it’s a good fit, the culture is a good fit for my personality. I think everyone in the locker room, the coaches, the front office, I think we all have something in common. We know each other very well, ”said Cousins. “I think it’s just a good cultural fit. We understand each other, everyone respects each other, respects the opinion of the other, the space of the other. It’s just a fluid organization.
For a battered, shorthanded Clippers team who have played almost every other day since the start of the month, Cousins’ performance has given them a much-needed rest for some of the starters. He kind of spearheaded the attack and the team didn’t miss a beat as George, Morris and Reggie Jackson took a break on the bench.
Back in the days when the Clippers had the opportunity to bring in Cousins towards the end of the regular season, it was precisely for this reason that Lue wanted to sign him, despite the risk of potential injuries, was An evidence.
“He suffered a few injuries which is unfortunate, but the guys forget he was a maximum player before he suffered all of those injuries,” Lue said. “With just the presence of the post on the ground, he is an excellent passer when he catches him low. It’s hard to manage there.
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