Cousins officially ruled out for season with ruptured Achilles

The New Orleans Pelicans announced Saturday that All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a rupture of his left Achilles tendon.

Cousins suffered the non-contact injury in Friday's game against the Houston Rockets while attempting to corral the ball as it careened out of bounds. After falling to the floor, Cousins had to be carried off the court.

In arguably his finest season to date, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game, pushing the Pelicans to a 27-21 record and earning a starting nod for the 2018 All-Star Game. It seems likely that Cousins would have gone on to make the postseason for the first time in his eight-season career.

"He was having as good a year as anybody in the league," a somber coach Alvin Gentry said at Saturday's practice. "For what he had brought to our team and what we were trying to get done, I think the guys feel really bad for him. But that being said, they know that we have to move on; it happens all the time in sports."

The Pelicans hope to continue their success in towering over opposing frontcourts, led by their other superstar big.

"There's still only one Anthony Davis," Rajon Rondo reminded reporters at Saturday's practice. "No one can match that."