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Saturday, February 6, 2021

Rockets veteran DeMarcus Cousins steps in with Christian Wood out - Houston Chronicle

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As disheartening as the injury to Christian Wood could be, the Rockets did not have to twist logic too greatly to find a bright side.

Wood will be out indefinitely with a sprained right ankle, but the Rockets also knew that the injury could have been considerably worse.

They also could have confidence, considering their stretch when Wood previously went out, that DeMarcus Cousins could step in as an effective replacement starter.

“Obviously, that helped me with my confidence going through this season,” Cousins said. “I mean, it’s unfortunate what happened to C-Wood. I’m going to come in and do my job. That’s really all I can do, play my part and help us get another W in the win column.”

Struggling to start the season and especially in the games prior to Wood’s first ankle sprain, Cousins seemed to get going when he moved into the starting lineup. He made just 2 of 16 shots in his first game after Wood’s previous ankle injury, but even then, he seemed to be moving better and getting his rhythm. He had 15 rebounds with seven assists and two blocked shots that night in Detroit, then scored a season-high 28 points with 17 rebounds and five assists the next night in Dallas.

Cousins averaged 15.3 points and 14.3 rebounds in his four starts prior to Saturday’s against the Spurs, though he rarely matched that level of play off the bench. Still, though Cousins is on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract after two seasons largely lost to major injuries, he would not view his return to the starting lineup as a chance to show that he can still be an effective starter.

“I’m trying to come out and help this team win games,” Cousins said. “That’s really my only focus at this point.”

It remains uncertain how long Wood will be out. The Rockets announced that he would be evaluated on a weekly basis, indicating a prolonged absence. There are 3 ½ weeks remaining before the All-Star break. The MRI, however, showed no further damage. Wood does not have to look far to see reminders that it could  have been worse, with a large contingent of teammates with experience coming back from significant injuries, including his backup and temporary replacement at center.

“At that moment when it happened it obviously seemed a lot worse,” Cousins said. “It is unfortunate that he had to deal with any type of injury. The fact that we know he will recover quickly and it’s not as bad as it seemed, obviously we’re happy for that. But he has some work to do ahead of him. I’m confident he’s going to get that work done and he’ll be back on the floor better than ever.”

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Rockets veteran DeMarcus Cousins steps in with Christian Wood out - Houston Chronicle
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