NBA Injury Report Week 29: DeMarcus Cousins could return for the NBA Finals, Marcus Smart back in action and more
The 2019 NBA playoffs are now in full swing, and a number of matchups look as though they could need a Game 7 to determine who advances to the Conference Finals.
At this stage of the season, injuries to key players can heavily impact the outcome of a series, and a number of contending teams are currently without important players. So, ahead of another week of action, here are all the major injury status updates you need to know.
DeMarcus Cousins - Quadriceps - Could Return For Playoffs
DeMarcus Cousins suffered a torn quad during the Golden State Warriors' Game 2 loss in the first round against the LA Clippers. Whilst Cousins didn't need surgery to repair his quad, it was widely reported that his season with the Warriors had come to an end.
However, when speaking about Golden State's Game 3 loss to the Rockets, head coach Steve Kerr revealed the surprising news that Cousins could still play again this season:
It's a possibility he (Damian Jones) could be back, and same with DeMarcus (Cousins), he's come a pretty long way so we'll just wait and see
It still seems unlikely that the 29-year-old will play at any point in the next fortnight, however, if the Warriors reach the NBA Finals, a Cousins return looks increasingly likely.
OG Anunoby - Abdomen - Out Indefinitely
After undergoing an emergency appendectomy three weeks ago, OG Anunoby has yet to play any part in the postseason. The team has yet to set a return date for Anunoby, and ESPN's Tim Bontemps is reporting that Anunoby remains a major doubt for the playoffs:
He remains out indefinitely after undergoing an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago.