OAKLAND -- DeMarcus Cousins has earned his first paid day off as an active member of the Warriors.
After 11 consecutive games, including Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz, the 6-foot-11 center will not be in the lineup Wednesday night in Portland against the Trail Blazers.
Cousins will be joined on the sideline in Portland by veteran guard Shaun Livingston, who is getting his first pure rest night of the season.
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While Livingston is one of two veterans -- Andre Iguodala being the other -- on a routine maintenance program, the Warriors are simply being cautious with Cousins, who is 54 weeks removed from rupturing his left Achilles’ tendon.
“This is the first back-to-back that we’ve had on the schedule since he’s been back,” coach Steve Kerr said before tipoff against Utah, “so this was planned all along.”
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The decision was reached in consultation among Kerr, Cousins and medical director Rick Celebrini.
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Though Kerr said there is no set plan for the future, it’s likely that Cousins will sit out several of the five back-to-back sets remaining on the schedule after the All-Star break this weekend.
