Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic suffered a non-displaced fibular fracture in his right leg in the team’s 117-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday, the team announced. He’ll be sidelined and re-evaluated in two weeks.
Jusuf Nurkic’s injury is a fibular fracture that will sideline him at least two weeks
The Trail Blazers are 14-6 since acquiring Nurkic before the trade deadline.
Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Nurkic played through the injury to finish with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks against the Rockets. The loss is a blow to a Trail Blazers team that rallied around the unique versatility of their newly acquired big man to make a late-season playoff push.
Portland acquired Nurkic and the Denver Nuggets’ 2017 first-round pick in exchange for Mason Plumlee on Feb. 12. He averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal per game before his injury, helping guide the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference’s eighth seed and a 14-6 record over that span.
He became the first player to average 15 points and 10 rebounds in their first 20 games as a Trail Blazer since Mychal Thompson in 1978, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Nurkic has dealt with his fair share of injuries in the past.
Last season, he only played 32 games after recovery from a partially torn left patellar tendon sidelined him until January. He also sprained his ankle and endured knee soreness.
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