The Golden State Warriors thumped the Denver Nuggets by a score of 122-105 on Friday night, and in the process, DeMarcus Cousins finished with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists and, most notably, six blocks. He also added three steals.
Those numbers came on the heels of criticism of Cousins' defense, with many pointing out how the Boston Celtics consistently attacked him in the pick-and-roll during the Celtics' 33-point rout of the Warriors on Tuesday evening.
So, did Cousins' impressive performance against the Nuggets come from motivation to prove his critics wrong? Kevin Durant doesn't think so:
Durant not exactly agreeing that criticism on DeMarcus fueled his game pic.twitter.com/AvBJ6B0ds8
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 9, 2019
When Cousins signed with the Warriors this past summer, many bemoaned the move, complaining about how Golden State always manages to add All-Star level players to its roster.
However, there was a faction that questioned the fit, wondering if Cousins' mercurial—and sometimes hostile—personality would end up being a divisive force in the Warriors' locker room.
We have seen a little bit of everything thus far since Cousins returned to the floor in mid-January.
He has had some great games and has sometimes been a difference-maker on the offensive end due to his ability to spread the floor, but his defense has also been a liability at times, and, late in Tuesday's loss against the Celtics, he lost his cool.
Overall this season, Cousins—who is coming back from a torn Achilles he suffered last January—is averaging 15.3 points, eight rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals over 25.3 minutes per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor.
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