SACRAMENTO, CA ---- Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins will miss the final three games of the 2014-15 NBA regular season to rest and begin rehabilitating his right ankle and other leg injuries, the team announced today.
An examination by Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles revealed that Cousins has sustained multiple lower leg injuries over the course of the season, including ankle sprains and a calf strain – injuries sustained during a particularly heavy volume of basketball activity dating back to the summer.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp.
An All-Star this season, Cousins averaged 24.1 points (.467 FG%, .782 FT%), 12.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.53 steals, 1.76 blocks and 34.1 minutes per game in starting all 59 games he played in. He posted career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes and led the Kings in scoring, rebounds, steals and blocks per game. Among NBA leaders, Cousins ranked fifth in scoring and third in rebounding. Cousins recorded 47 double-doubles and two consecutive 20-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple-doubles on April 1 at Houston and April 3 vs. New Orleans.
Rudy Gay sustained a concussion on March 30 and was held out of the next three games. After initial resolution of his symptoms, Gay successfully returned through the NBA Concussion Policy’s return-to-participation protocol. Upon returning to full competition earlier this week, Gay experienced symptoms that required further observation and rest from play. The Sacramento Kings medical staff has continued to consult with the Director of the NBA Concussion Program, Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, and has ultimately decided that Gay will not participate in games for the remainder of the season.
Gay averaged a career-high 21.1 points (.455 FG%, .359 3pt%, .858 FT%), 5.9 rebounds, a career-best 3.7 assists, 1.04 steals and a team-high 35.4 minutes per game in 68 contests of which he started 67 for the Kings in 2014-15. The second-leading scorer on the Kings, Gay was ranked 13th in scoring in the NBA. He scored 30 or more points five times, including a season-high 40 points (13-19 FG, 3-4 3pt, 11-13 FT) to go along with eight rebounds, one assist and one steal in a 103-94 win versus Portland on Halloween.
Next Up
