OAKLAND, Calif. — Center DeMarcus Cousins is unlikely to return this postseason for the Golden State Warriors yet won’t require surgery on his torn left quadriceps muscle.
Coach Steve Kerr has named Andrew Bogut as his starter in place of Cousins for Game 3 Thursday night of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Clippers in Los Angeles.
Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, the 28-year-old Cousins went down in the first quarter of a 135-131 Game 2 loss Monday night. He fell in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the backcourt. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad then hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.
The tear was revealed by an MRI exam Tuesday. The big man returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence while recovering from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon.
“More than anything, I’m just crushed for DeMarcus,” Kerr said Wednesday. “He’s been waiting his whole career for this and the second game he goes down after putting all that work in to recover from the Achilles. He’s had a great season for us.”
For now, Cousins “needs to be comfortable,” said Kerr, so there isn’t a plan for how much he might be around the team for the remainder of the postseason.
Teammates Kevin Durant and Draymond Green wanted to respect Cousins’ space but planned to reach out.
“Just definitely thinking about him. I know for a fact with how much medicine is so good and doctors and all that stuff is so good, I’m sure he’ll be back fine, be back to 100 percent after his rehab, so I’m looking forward to that,” Durant said.
Bogut will step in to start for the two-time defending champions, a familiar face who re-signed last month for a second stint with the franchise after playing for the 2015 champions. He also played on the ’16 team that won 73 games before losing to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the finals.
“This is why we got him, just in case,” Kerr said.
Kevon Looney will also see increased minutes. He scored a career-high 19 points on 6-for-6 shooting in Game 1 while filling in for Cousins.
PELICANS: Newly hired top basketball executive David Griffin said he’s keeping coach Alvin Gentry and wouldn’t rule out the possibility of talking six-time All-Star Anthony Davis into rescinding his trade request and committing to New Orleans long-term.
“We have a very long and successful history together with Klutch Sports,” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Wednesday, referring to the agency, led by Rich Paul, that represents Davis. “Rich Paul and I have spoken about Anthony and I think we’re both excited about what we can potentially build here.”
Davis, who is under contract with the Pelicans for one more season, requested a trade in late January. In the aftermath, the Pelicans fired general manager Dell Demps, who has been effectively replaced by Griffin, albeit under a different title.
The Pelicans hired Griffin on Friday and formally introduced him on Wednesday.
THUNDER: Rookie guard Hamidou Diallo, the NBA’s slam dunk contest winner this season, underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right elbow on Wednesday and is expected to return to basketball-related activities in about four weeks.
Diallo appeared in 51 games for the Thunder this season and averaged 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game. He has not played in the first-round playoff series against Portland.
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
BUCKS 120, PISTONS 99: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 26 points in Milwaukee’s big third quarter and the Bucks beat visiting Detroit to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.
Eric Bledsoe led the Bucks with 27 points, and Khris Middleton had 24. Milwaukee is trying win a series for the first time since 2001.
Luke Kennard had 19 points for Detroit.
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