After being sidelined Friday vs. Houston due to left knee soreness and a rib contusion, New Orleans center DeMarcus Cousins practiced Saturday and said he expects to play Sunday vs. Minnesota (5 p.m., Fox Sports New Orleans, WRNO 99.5 FM). Cousins sustained a rib injury in Wednesday’s loss at Miami, when he was inadvertently kicked by Heat forward James Johnson during Johnson’s drive into the paint.
“The more we can have him out there (on the court), the more we can learn and try to experiment with certain situations,” Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry said of Cousins’ availability. “And how he and (Anthony Davis) work together, and how to do things when one is in the game and one is out.