Seeking their first postseason berth since the 2005-06 season, the last thing the Sacramento Kings need is a substantial injury to their superstar, center DeMarcus Cousins.
The Western Conference All-Star reserve received a frightening experience in the fourth quarter of the Kings' 121-117 defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, who currently hold the fifth seed in the conference, having to be carried off of the court after suffering a sprained left ankle injury, sending the hearts of Sac-town's faithful into spasms.
With 2:02 remaining in the contest and Sacramento trailing by eight, Memphis center Marc Gasol landed directly on the left ankle of Cousins while diving for a loose ball, crushing the foot of the Kentucky product flat onto the FedEXForum floor.
The injury appeared to be rather serious at the time, as Cousins limped off the floor while being supported by a teammate and a member of the Kings staff. However, X-rays performed on Sunday afternoon came back negative, and the two-time All-Star is listed as day-to-day.
The 25-year old has emerged as one of the NBA's most formidable low-post scorers this season, wielding his massive 6'11", 270-pound frame to nearly incomprehensible averages of 27.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
His PER stands at an impressive 23.71 as Cousins has appeared to mesh well with the Kings primary offseason acquisition, dynamic point guard Rajon Rondo.
Over Sacramento's recent stretch of games (his 17-point, 14-rebound, 3-for-17 shooting game against the Grizzlies notwithstanding), the Mobile, Al. native has dominated.
He posted 48 points and 13 rebounds in the Kings last win, a victory over the Indiana Pacers on January 23, before exploding for a career-high 56 points on 21-of-30 shooting in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets on January 25 in which many of his buckets were assisted on by Rondo (20 assists).
The boisterous Cousins then became just the second player in the league to garner a 25-point, 10-rebound, five-assist, five-block this season in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night, as he posted 26 rebounds, 10 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks on the night.
Although he has attained the reputation as a loose cannon with his fiery approach to the game, Cousins has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with in the post, and Sacramento will need him to continue his stupendous play if they wish to make up the 1.5-game gap between them and the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz, who are currently tied in the race for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket.