DeMarcus Cousins leaves Game 2 with an apparent leg injury

DeMarcus Cousins left Game 2 against the Clippers early in the first quarter with an apparent leg injury.

Early in Game 2 against the Clippers, DeMarcus Cousins was sprinting in the open court, chasing a loose ball, when he fell to the ground clutching what looked like his left hip. Play continued and after being helped up by a teammate, he stayed close to the sideline until a timeout could be called. He immediately limped to the locker room, which is not an encouraging sign.

You can watch the full sequence below.

The sequence is particularly worrisome because it was a non-contact injury, Cousins just crumpled like something gave out on him. In addition, the fact that he didn’t wait to talk with trainers and just went straight to the locker room implies that he knew it was serious.

Cousins is mostly a member of the Warriors because of an Achilles’ injury he suffered last season with the New Orleans Pelicans. They declined to offer him a new contract and, not finding any other offers to his liking, he took a one-year deal with the Warriors. The obvious plan seemed to be to win a ring, prove he was healthy and effective and capable of contributing to a winning team, and then hit the free agent market again next summer for that lengthy and lucrative next deal.

A mid-game update from TNT’s Kristen Ledlow added that the Warriors had identified it as a left quad injury, that he would not return to the game and would undergo an MRI exam tomorrow. Follow-up reporting from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that a torn quad muscle may be the diagnosis. It would be a cruel twist of fate if this turned out to be a serious injury. The versatile center is enjoying the first playoff experience of his career and had the opportunity to be a meaningful contributor on one of the best teams in basketball. In addition, a serious injury could reshape his free agency in discouraging ways. Here’s hoping it’s not nearly as bad as it looked.