DeMarcus Cousins stepped up big-time for Clippers

As crazy as it sounds, the Los Angeles Clippers may not have been able to win Game 5 on the road without the contributions they received from DeMarcus Cousins. He only played 11 minutes off-the-bench, but man did Cousins give Los Angeles a huge jolt of energy and production in the second-unit! 

DeMarcus Cousins played limited minutes, even with Zubac sidelined, but he still scored 15 points on 7-12 shooting. He took more shot attempts than he played minutes, which goes to show how aggressive the big man was and how much he wanted to contribute for his team. 

In my Game 1 review article, we talked about DeAndre Ayton being great to start this series, but touched on the fact that DeMarcus Cousins played really well and should see his minutes increase given the Clippers’ lack of size inside. He did not match up with Ayton much in Game 5, but he abused Dario Saric in the second-unit. 

During his six minute spurt from the end of the first quarter into the early part of the second quarter, Cousins scored 8 points when guarded by Saric and scored all of his points in the paint, right at the rim. Every single time he touched the ball, something pricutive happened, which is why the Clippers need to give DeMarcus Cousins some more minutes heading into Game 6, regardless if Zubac is healthy or not. 

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This is a guy that not too long ago, we were talking about him being one of the best big men in the entire league. Injuries have taken a major toll on Cousins and his ability to be productive on the court, but given his size and stature, he is a complete mismatch for anybody other than DeAndre Ayton guarding him, which is why Cousins needs to be in the game more for Los Angeles. 

Now, to expect DeMarcus Cousins to go back out on the court in Game 6 and score 15 points or more off-the-bench again is a little crazy, but there is no reason why he cannot be instant offense against a guy like Dario Saric. When Saric is put into the game, the Clippers should absolutely sub in Cousins because he has a size, strength and scoring advantage over him. 

Points have been hard to come by at times in this series and if Cousins is the guy with the “hot hand” given his matchup, then the Clippers need to ride with him until he cools down. Every point will matter a little bit more in a crucial Game 6, which is why Los Angeles should call his number again on Wednesday night.