Kerr 'leaving the door open' for unlikely Cousins return

DeMarcus Cousins may have played his last game for the Golden State Warriors after suffering a torn left quad Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers, though head coach Steve Kerr feels a return this postseason isn't impossible.

"DeMarcus most likely will not be back during the playoffs. You're probably looking at a couple months recovery so it's unlikely," Kerr said Wednesday, courtesy of 95.7 The Game. "But Rick (Celebrini, Warriors director of sports medicine and performance) told me that there are occasions where that injury heals faster so we're leaving the door open obviously."

Cousins was chasing after a loose ball in the first quarter when his left leg buckled underneath him, sending him to the ground directly in front of the Warriors' bench. He was immediately removed from the game and did not return, and an MRI on Tuesday confirmed the torn quad diagnosis, though he is not expected to undergo surgery for the injury.

The Warriors center was playing in just the second postseason contest of his nine-year career. He signed a one-year deal with Golden State during the offseason as he recovered from a torn Achilles he suffered late last campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans.

"More than anything, I'm just crushed for Demarcus," Kerr said. "He's been waiting his whole career for this and in the second game he goes down after putting all that work in to recover from the Achilles and he's had a great season for us he's really come along in the last month or so."

After waiting until January to make his season debut, Cousins appeared in 30 games for the Warriors this season. He averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 25.7 minutes.