Defending champion Golden State received a boost hours before the start of the NBA Finals when coach Steve Kerr said injured center DeMarcus Cousins would be activated for Thursday's opener.

Cousins suffered a torn left quad muscle last month in only his second career NBA playoff game but recovered quickly enough to help the Warriors in the best-of-seven championship series against the Toronto Raptors.

"We have to figure out what's the best way to utilize him, how many minutes can he play, what the game feels like, what the matchups are like," Kerr said. "Some of that will be determined by what's happening in the game."

Kerr had declared Cousins was "pain-free" on Wednesday but did not say he would be activated for game one.

Still sidelined for the Warriors is star forward Kevin Durant, who suffered a right calf strain earlier this month and was already declared out for the opener. Golden State is 5-0 in Durant's absence, including a sweep of Portland in the Western Conference finals.

The Warriors are chasing their third consecutive title and fourth in five seasons in the first NBA Finals to be played outside the United States while the Raptors are in the first finals in their 24-season history.

Cousins was added by the Warriors last July but a ruptured left Achilles tendon kept him from playing until January.

In 30 regular-season games, Cousins averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals a game.

Cousins then suffered his latest setback as the Warriors began their run to a fifth consecutive final.

The 28-year-old center, a nine-season NBA veteran who had never made a playoff appearance until April, said Wednesday he was excited for the chance to play for the ultimate prize.