Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard put the series against the Oklahoma City on ice in the most spectacular fashion to finally get his team over the hump. However, it was the unexpected presence of center Jusuf Nurkic that provided Portland with the motivation it needed to close out the game down the stretch.
Although Nurkic has been nursing a devastating leg injury he suffered prior to the playoffs, he was not going to let that prevent him from witnessing his team beat the Thunder in Game 5. According to Jamie Hudson of NBC Sports, head coach Terry Stotts acknowledged how much his presence impacted the Moda Center:
“We were down eight… So, plus 11… So, his plus/minus was really good. Honestly, you guys know it, you felt it in the building when they showed him on the big screen and the fact that he showed up, no one knew he was going to show up, honestly I think we fed off of that. I think there was a little good karma when he did show up,” Stotts said.
McCollum explained how much it meant to his teammates to see him there.
“It meant a lot. I had seen him earlier today; he was at the practice facility. He was getting a lift in and some rehab. I was like, ‘when you gonna come to a game?’ He was like, ‘I’m not ready yet,’ so, when I looked and saw him I was like, man it must’ve looked bad on TV for him to leave his house in the middle of third quarter and drive all the way out here,” CJ McCollum joked postgame.
“When I seen him, I was like we really got to come together and get this done so we don’t have to go back to Oklahoma,” McCollum said.
Lillard acknowledged that his arrival helped ignite the crowd late in the game.
“I think they put a camera on him and the crowd went crazy. I heard it. So, he gave us a nice punch,” Lillard said.
It was certainly a special night for the Blazers and all those involved with the team. They had been plagued by back-to-back first-round sweeps over the last two years. Their postseason struggles had led to plenty of speculation regarding the future of this team. Fortunately, they have managed to inspire some serious hope thus far.
There is no question that Nurkic's absence will continue to be missed by the Blazers on the court. Regardless, his presence could still help to motivate Portland moving forward. For now, they wait to see which opponent they will face next once the series between the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs concludes.
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