DeMarcus Cousins’ MRI Revealed He Suffered A Torn Left Quad In Game 2

The Golden State Warriors blowing a 31-point second half lead against the Clippers in Game 2 at home was a shocking result, but the concern for the Warriors after the game had more to do with the loss of DeMarcus Cousins in the first quarter with a left quad injury.

Coach Steve Kerr said the injury was “significant” and that they expected Cousins out for awhile, a blow to their frontcourt rotation and, just generally, a terrible way for his season to potentially end after he worked so hard to come back from an Achilles injury. The MRI for Cousins was scheduled for Tuesday morning and, as many had feared, the results were not good.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Cousins suffered a torn left quad — which Charles Barkley feared on the TNT halftime show when he noticed his leg looked a lot like his when he tore his quad year ago.

As Charania notes, it’s likely this will end Cousins’ season, although there is the slimmest of hope that he could return for a Finals series depending on how his rehab goes — that it’s a muscle tear and not a quad tendon injury is a positive.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed the tear diagnosis, but noted doctors were determining the significance of the injury and a potential timetable for his return.

It’s a brutal blow to Cousins, who spent a full year rehabbing an Achilles injury that threatened to derail his career and now, after finally reaching the postseason as a player, finds himself sidelined again with a significant injury in Game 2 of the first round.

The team confirmed the MRI results later on Tuesday and announced he would be out “indefinitely.”