The Portland Trail Blazers will be without their spark plug center Jusuf Nurkic until his re-evaluation in two weeks, the team announced on Friday night. An MRI confirmed Nurkic suffered a non-displaced fracture of the right fibula, though it is unclear when the injury took place.
The 7-footer was key in Thursday's 117-107 win over the Houston Rockets, posting a solid 19 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. The big man is the first to average 15 points and 10 rebounds in the first 20 games for the franchise since Mychal Thompson in 1978, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The Blazers have now won five games in a row just as the Denver Nuggets have started to slip, carving up a two-game lead for the eighth and last spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
Nurkic's absence will mark the third center in the roster that is sidelined for the team, making it a prime opportunity for Noah Vonleh and Meyers Leonard for playing time down the stretch.
Portland has picked up steam throughout the last three weeks, winning eight of their last nine games and facing a relatively favorable schedule the rest of the way. The Blazers (37-38) hold their faith in their own hands, playing five of their last seven games at home, including the last four.
Since being traded to Portland in February, Jusuf Nurkic has turned around a season-long subpar performance for the Nuggets and averaged 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 20 games for the Blazers.
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