Boogie Cousins After Houston: “Nobody Can Guard Me”

The game of the night in the NBA was without a doubt the clash between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors.

Champions secured a 106-104 win after a tough and dramatic ending, in which Steph Curry sealed the fate of the hosts, hitting both of his free throws with eight seconds until the end.

After that James Harden set the final result, using the first of his two free throws.

But until that point, the Rockets made a 9-0 run which brought them to 104-103, and made this game exciting.

The entire contest was like that, the Warriors were ahead, and the Rockets were trying to turn the game around. And except for a brief moment in at the beginning of the second half, the hosts didn’t succeed to jump over the champs.

Steve Kerr couldn’t count on Kevin Durant in this game. The two-time NBA Finals MVP had to skip the gun down in Texas because of his sprained ankle.

But that wasn’t the problem for the Warriors because DeMarcus Cousins stepped up and played one hell of a game.

Boogie dropped 27 points, with 8 boards and 7 assists, along with 2 steals, shooting 11 of 16 from the field.

After the game, confidence steamed from the 4-time All-Star.

“I don’t think anybody can stop me one-on-one period,” Cousins said. “So you can put whoever you want on me honestly.”

His performance against the Rockets gives them the right to think so, because he did outplay all the guards on him in this match.

After a long time, we’ve seen Boogie in his usual element, with the stats which were his regular during the time in Sacramento and New Orleans.

Klay Thompson had a game-high 30 points last night at Toyota Center. One of the original Splash Brothers scored many of his points after Cousins’ assists.

He felt the need to point that out while speaking to the media in front of the locker room.

“He just played probably the most complete game since he’s been here,” said Klay. “I mean, I was getting wide-open looks from his passing ability. He adds a whole new dimension to our team.”

According to most of the experts, Boogie could be the decisive factor for the Warriors against the Rockets if they meet in the playoffs. Up until previous night, Harden and the boys won three straight against the champs, and proved to be the enigma for the champions.

It was especially frustrating for the Golden State’s fans to see Houston defeating their team without Harden in the lineup. At that point it most of them believed that the Rockets have some kind of a formula for their biggest opponent.

What is the good thing for the Warriors, is the fact that they still explore options with Cousins on the field. Steve Kerr stated in his post-game interview, saying that he has yet to learn how and when to use Boogie.

“I don’t know how many games he’s played for us, 20? We’re all learning. Me too. I got to learn how to use him better. I thought we used him better tonight,” Kerr was honest.

Steve Kerr says the Warriors are figuring out how to use DeMarcus Cousins better. They’re now separating him and Draymond some in the rotation, improving spacing around his post ups. That’ll likely continue. pic.twitter.com/wQodWrjEzr

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 14, 2019

The Warriors are just one and a half game in front of the Nuggets who are constantly chasing the champs and the top position in the West. At the moment, Jokic and the boys have one game in hand, which will be played tonight against Dallas at home.

After that, they have the Pacers at home, before heading on a four-game trip throughout the Eastern Conference. They will meet with the Celtics, Wizards, Knicks and the Pacers again.

The Warriors have two tough contests in the next few days, and both of them away from the Oracle Arena. They head for Oklahoma City first, to face the Thunder on Saturday, before playing at AT&T Center with the Spurs on Monday.

After that, they have a bit lighter schedule than the Nuggets, which will allow them to play without pressure and give Boogie the chance to see in which way he can improve the team for the playoffs.