New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins suffered an apparent injury during the closing seconds of their game against the Houston Rockets. The Pelicans won this contest 115-113 behind a triple-double effort from Cousins who had 15 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, and three steals in a huge win over the Western Conference powerhouse.

Shortly after the game, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski released an update on the injury, which did not look good at all based on the initial eye test, confirming everyone's fear.

No one ever wants to see any player get hurt, even more so with this kind of injury. It was a cruel twist of fate especially with the way Cousins and the Pelicans managed to eke out a courageous victory over a high-powered Rockets team.

The Pelicans will now have to rely heavily on Cousins' frontcourt partner Anthony Davis, who, despite being ultra-talented, holds a more questionable injury history than Cousins. Davis is averaging 26.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and two blocks per game — numbers which will only get bloated with Cousins out of commission.

What makes this toughest for New Orleans is its effect on their postseason bid. The Pelicans may be sitting at the sixth spot out West, but they are engulfed in a neck-and-neck battle with the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, and L.A. Clippers for the last three playoff tickets in their conference.

Only 2.5 games separate the sixth-placed Pelicans from the ninth-ranked Clippers, who are expected to gain more momentum after welcoming back DeAndre Jordan from an injury.

Cousins is averaging 25.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. He is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.

For what it's worth, other notable players who suffered Achilles injuries in the past were Christian Laettner, Elton Brand, Patrick Ewing, Kobe Bryant, Isiah Thomas, and Chauncey Billups.