TORONTO -- It was the moment the Golden State Warriors waited so long to see, and finally it arrived in the nick of time: The still-recovering former All-Star, out of the starting lineup for more than a minute, returning and dismissing the noise about how the team is better without him by impacting the game in multiple ways and pulling them to victory.

And get this: If the Warriors are truly fortunate, Kevin Durant will recover soon and duplicate what DeMarcus Cousins just did -- in The Finals.

If he does, it could serve a critical blow to Toronto’s chances of pulling off a late-series surprise.

“We know what we’re dealing with here,” said Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet.

DeMarcus Cousins finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes.

Cousins provided the help that the two-time defending champions needed Sunday to draw even in the series and snatch momentum with a 109-104 victory at Scotiabank Arena. He played more than anyone thought, rebounded more than anyone imagined, defended and scored more than Toronto bargained for, and gave the Warriors what they missed the last 6 1/2 weeks with him on the shelf.

The 11 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots from Cousins didn’t fully encapsulate how much relief he brought to the Warriors. He had a galvanizing effect on a team that used an 18-0 run to start the second half to seize control of Game 3 and then used Andre Iguodala’s 3-point shot to ice it.

They haven’t been in one piece since April 15, in the first round against the LA Clippers, when Cousins chased a loose ball, stumbled and grabbed his left leg. The torn quad required no surgery but a lengthy rehab period, and this after Cousins went through a 10-month rehab for a torn Achilles' tendon in the spring of 2018. He was feeling beat up.

Golden State evened the series with a 109-104 victory on Sunday.

Cousins attacked the process anyway, determined to return from an injury that normally would mean the end to his postseason, for the simple reason that he hadn’t been to the playoffs in his career to this point. There’s also a matter of free agency awaiting in July as a strong return could improve his bottom line.

“Once they told me I have a chance, a slight chance, of being able to return, it basically was up to me and the work I put in,” Cousins said. “So I put the work and the time in and with God’s grace I’m able to be out here and play the game I love.”

Cousins was clearly out of rhythm from the layoff in Game 1, his timing rusty, his execution unsure. He played just eight minutes without scoring a basket or drawing much attention from Toronto.

Relive the Warriors' thrilling Game 2 win in The Finals vs. the Raptors.

But Warriors coach Steve Kerr made the surprise decision to start Cousins three nights later, and that faith was repaid handsomely. Cousins was active, his confidence growing stronger by the minute -- 27 of them, actually, and he only asked to be subbed out once.

“We came in thinking he can maybe play 20 minutes,” Kerr said. “He was fantastic and we needed everything he gave out there: his rebounding, his toughness, his physical presence, getting the ball in the paint, and just playing big, like he does. We needed all of that.”

What the Warriors hoped was for Cousins to be the best big man on the floor. In Game 1, that honor went to Raptors center Marc Gasol, who became a prime scoring option (20 points) by hitting open jumpers. Cousins didn’t give him that amount of breathing space in Game 2, and Gasol (six points) was never a factor.