DeMarcus Cousins is determined to leave his prints on this run with the Golden State Warriors, as the franchise now sits four wins away from a third straight title and its fourth in the last five seasons. The big man is attempting to return from a torn quad injury he suffered early in the postseason, playing only 25 total playoff minutes before being forced back on the sidelines after nearly a year off to recover from a devastating torn Achilles injury that ultimately landed him with the defending champions.

Cousins has been scrimmaging and is gearing up for a return in the very near future:

“It’s just about getting my body in shape, my quad muscle in shape and go through the different phases and ups and downs of the game,” Cousins told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated of his attempt to return in time for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “It has been a tough week. I’ve been working my tail off to get to this point. But I am healthy enough.”

Cousins is currently questionable to play in Thursday night's Game 1 in Toronto:

“All that he has been through coming off his initial injury and the quad, there is so much rehab and missed time,” said teammate Stephen Curry, who has led the Warriors in the absence of Cousins and leading scorer Kevin Durant. “He has worked his butt off to give himself a chance to play to help us.”

Cousins' quad injury was initially believed to be a postseason-ending blow, but soon enough there was belief that Cousins could return late in the postseason, if the Warriors managed to make it this far.

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They have.

Even if Cousins isn't in shape to trot out 30-plus minutes against one of the most versatile defenses in the Toronto Raptors, the big man knows there is a certain value he brings to the table:

“Obviously, you don’t get the same glory and credit, and things of that nature, that comes with a game-winning basket, scoring 30, whatever the case may be and everything leading up to it,” Cousins said. “Only guys in the locker room really understand the work and blood, sweat and tears that go into this. It is an incredible feeling for a moment to just let your hair down and breathe a sigh of relief.

“We made it to that next step. … We are at this point now and four more to go.”

This is Cousins' first-ever playoffs, and he's desperate to leave a mark.