Portland Trail Blazers big man Jusuf Nurkic has been unable to play during this season's playoff run, as he's still recovering from season-ending leg surgery. If it were up to him, though, he'd be back on the court with his teammates. In fact, he recently told Damian Lillard that he would play with a broken leg if he could.

https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1126723910936870912

Nurkic sustained compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula during the second quarter of an overtime game against the Brooklyn Nets in March. The Bosnian-born center was fouled while going up for a rebound, which then caused an awkward landing. He was taken off the floor on a stretcher after Portland's medical team secured his leg in a safe manner.

There was no nerve or muscle damage discovered during Nurkic's surgical procedure, but he was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the season.

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The injury was a tough blow for Nurkic, who was enjoying one of the finest seasons of his career. He made 72 appearances during the 2018-19 campaign, racking up averages of 15.6 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steal in 27.4 minutes per outing.

Nurkic's injury opened the door of opportunity for other Portland bigs, including Enes Kanter and Zach Collins. And though the Blazers would like to have Nurkic back in the fold, they've managed to advance into the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs without him.

The Blazers will be back in action on Sunday, when they'll face off against the Denver Nuggets in a pivotal Game 7 affair. Currently, the series is tied at three games apiece. Tip-off time is still to be determined.