DeMarcus Cousins never doubted he could turn back the clock. He just needed an opportunity to twist the dials.
Making the first start of his Nuggets career, Cousins bludgeoned the Rockets for 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in 24 minutes of work Friday night. The absence of Nikola Jokic (non-COVID illness) didn’t hurt in the least. Cousins’ bruising, imposing play made sure of that.
It was the first time Cousins scored at least 31 points since Jan. 22, 2018 – five teams ago, when Cousins was with the New Orleans Pelicans.
“Nobody replaces Nikola Jokic, but Cuz is pretty damn good,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who’s been Cousins’ biggest proponent since before he even arrived in Denver.