Following his unceremonious exit from the Denver Nuggets during last month's trade deadline, Jusuf Nurkic had a chip on his shoulders and wanted to prove them wrong for trading him. He had anxiously waited for the Portland Trail Blazers‘ to play against his former team, and on Tuesday night, the time had finally come.
With the contest full of playoff implications, the 22-year-old Bosnian international played a career game, finishing with 33 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks. More importantly, the Blazers won the game, 122-113, as Nurkic and company sent a clear message to their opponents that they will fight tooth and nail for a playoff spot.
During the post game interview, Nurkic made it known that he is happy where he is now and also had a wish for the Nuggets.
Jusuf Nurkić talks that talk after beating his former team 👀 pic.twitter.com/3ZPpUqsX1v
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 29, 2017
Since being traded to Portland, Nurkic has proven that he is capable of holding his own inside the court and has been producing better numbers than his stint in the Mile High City. In 19 games for the Blazers, he is averaging 15.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game.
His stellar play has helped the team win 12 of their last 15 games, and have overtaken the Nuggets in the standings. Already with a very talented backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, the Trail Blazers now have a big chance to make it to the postseason, with the emergence of Nurkic as their clear third option.
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