Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Brings down double-double in loss
Rotowire
Nurkic had 14 points (5-8 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and three steals over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 138-122 loss to the Knicks.
Nurkic held his own despite an enormous night from Karl-Anthony Towns in the paint. The Suns are relieved to have one of their impact players off the injury report after he joined Kevin Durant (calf) and Bradley Beal (calf) on the sidelines twice over the past week. Nurkic's 2024-25 campaign has been a mixed bag, as he's performing slightly below last season's averages in every major category. Field-goal percentage is the most glaring shortcoming, as his 40.4 percent conversion rate is the lowest of his career, and a full 11 percentage points behind his 2023-24 average.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Returning to action Wednesday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) has been cleared for Wednesday's game against New York, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Nurkic will return after missing two of Phoenix's last five games due to a nagging ankle injury. Mason Plumlee has filled in admirably as a rebounder while earning a plus-6.5 net rating on the season, so there's no guarantee that Nurkic will exceed the 23.7 minutes he has averaged across his 13 appearances this year.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Questionable for Wednesday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Knicks.
Nurkic continues to deal with a left ankle sprain, and after missing the game against the Magic on Monday, he'll be a game-time call for Wednesday's contest. If Nurkic can't go, then Oso Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee would be in line to see more minutes in a depleted Suns frontcourt.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Listed out Monday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) is listed as out for Monday's game against Orlando.
After three straight appearances for the Suns, Nurkic will be held out with a left ankle sprain, something that continues to pop up. With Nurkic on the shelf, this will be a big opportunity for Oso Ighodaro to step up for the Suns after a strong performance Sunday against the Timberwolves. Mason Plumlee started at power forward during that contest but will likely slide over to center in Nurkic's absence.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Upgraded to available
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) is available for Sunday's game against the Timberwolves, Amanda Pflugrad of 3TV Phoenix reports.
As expected, Nurkic has been upgraded from probable to available and will suit up for a third consecutive contest following a one-game absence. Over his last two appearances, Nurkic has averaged 3.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 25.5 minutes per game.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Probable for Sunday
Rotowire
Nurkic is probable for Sunday's game against the Timberwolves due to a left ankle sprain.
Nurkic has been bothered by a left ankle sprain over the last few days. Even though the injury hasn't prevented the big man from suiting up outside of the Nov. 12 win over the Jazz, it has certainly impacted his play. Nurkic is averaging a mere 2.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his last three contests.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Getting green light
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) is available for Friday's game against the Thunder, Nick Gallo of the Thunder's official site reports.
Nurkic has been upgraded from questionable to available and will suit up for a second straight contest after a one-game absence due to the ankle issue. He posted three points, 11 rebounds, one assist and three steals in 22 minutes during Wednesday's loss to the Kings.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Iffy for Friday vs. OKC
Rotowire
Nurkic is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Thunder due to a left ankle sprain.
Nurkic missed Tuesday's win over Utah due to the lingering ankle injury, though he was able to suit up in the second leg of the back-to-back set in Wednesday's loss to the Kings. If the big man is unable to suit up Friday, Mason Plumlee will likely get the starting nod with Oso Ighodaro receiving an uptick in playing time off the bench.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Good to go Wednesday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) was removed from the injury report ahead of Wednesday's game versus Sacramento.
Nurkic was sidelined for Tuesday's win over the Jazz due to left ankle soreness after aggravating the injury in Sunday's loss to the Kings. His absence from the front end of the back-to-back set Tuesday may have been for maintenance purposes more than anything else, but Nurkic could still have his playing time monitored closely as he returns to action Wednesday.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Ruled out Tuesday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) has been ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Jazz, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Nurkic will miss the Suns' first NBA Cup matchup due to left ankle soreness. The big man aggravated the injury during Sunday's loss to the Kings, and he should be considered questionable for the second leg of the back-to-back set as the team plays the Kings on Wednesday.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Iffy for Tuesday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game against Utah, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Nurkic aggravated a left ankle injury during the Sun's 127-118 loss to the Kings on Sunday. If Nurkic is unable to play Tuesday, Mason Plumlee would likely get the start at center while Royce O'Neale and sees an uptick in minutes off the bench.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Won't return Sunday
Rotowire
Nurkic will not return to Sunday's game against the Kings due to an ankle injury, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Nurkic came into the game with an ankle injury which he seemingly aggravated before being ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Nurkic will finish with zero points (0-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt), seven rebounds and one steal in 15 minutes of action.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Available Sunday
Rotowire
Nurkic (ankle) will play during Sunday's game against the Kings.
Nurkic carried a questionable tag into Sunday's game due to left ankle soreness, but he will be able to play through the injury. Nurkic holds averages of 13.3 points, 14.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 29.8 minutes per game over his last four contests.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Questionable to play Sunday
Rotowire
Nurkic is questionable for Sunday's game against the Kings due to left ankle soreness.
The Suns will be without Kevin Durant (calf) for at least two weeks, and losing Nurkic would deplete the frontcourt considerably. However, the questionable tag suggests he should have a decent chance of playing Sunday. Nurkic is averaging 11.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this season.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Posts double-double
Rotowire
Nurkic totaled 15 points (6-12 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes during Friday's 114-113 win over the Mavericks.
Nurkic has recorded three consecutive double-doubles, and the veteran big man is enjoying a strong start to the campaign due to his impressive two-way display. One area in which he's excelling is three-point shooting, as Nurkic has drained at least one three in five games in a row while going 5-for-7 in his last two contests. During the season, Nurkic is averaging 11.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while shooting 34.6 percent from deep.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Near 20/20 game
Rotowire
Nurkic produced 20 points (6-8 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 18 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 33 minutes during Wednesday's 115-112 win over the Heat.
Nurkic was excellent Wednesday, connecting on multiple three-pointers for the first time this season while compiling season highs in points and rebounds. The performance was just Nurkic's third double-double of the campaign, but he's averaging 10.5 points and 10.6 rebounds across 24.4 minutes per game on the year. He's grabbed at least 15 rebounds in three straight contests.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Double-double against Sixers
Rotowire
Nurkic recorded 15 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals over 28 minutes during Monday's 118-116 victory over the 76ers.
With Joel Embiid (knee) still sidelined for the Sixers, the 30-year-old center dominated the glass. The double-double was only the second of the season for Nurkic in seven games, as his production has been somewhat feast or famine -- he's pulled down 15 boards in each of the last two games but managed only seven in total over the prior two contests.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Plays just 15 minutes
Rotowire
Nurkic contributed two points (1-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 0-1 FT), four rebounds and two blocks over 15 minutes during Monday's 109-105 victory over the Lakers.
Nurkic had a nightmare outing Monday, and the Suns struggled mightily whenever he was on the floor. Mason Plumlee played 26 minutes as a result, and this could be a worrying trend to monitor for Nurkic's fantasy managers moving forward.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Stands out with double-double
Rotowire
Nurkic finished with 18 points (7-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-8 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist and one block over 30 minutes during Saturday's 114-102 victory over the Mavericks.
Nurkic enjoyed a bigger offensive role Saturday due to the absence of Bradley Beal (elbow), and that was noticeable in how involved he was as a scoring option. Nurkic attempted 12 shots in this win after totaling 10 field goals over his first two contests. Nurkic has scored in double digits while grabbing at least nine rebounds in two of his first three appearances this season.
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Suns' Jusuf Nurkic: Steady under the basket in loss
Rotowire
Nurkic generated 15 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal across 17 minutes in Thursday's 128-122 loss to the Lakers.
Nurkic was matched in minutes with Mason Plumlee, who recorded more rebounds during the loss. Despite Plumlee's increased involvement, Nurkic is in no immediate danger of losing his job, but he may get a little more rest in the opening weeks of the regular season as his finger continues to heal.
