Things change quickly in the NBA. Less than 24 hours after Jusuf Nurkic was listed as doubtful against the Atlanta Hawks, the Portland Trail Blazers center has cleared the league’s protocol and is expected to be in the lineup Monday night.
@trailblazers center Jusuf Nurki? has cleared health and safety protocols, sources (PCR) tell me.I?m expecting to play Monday night against Atlanta.
— Jusuf Nurki? (@bosnianbeast27) January 3, 2022
Nurkic hasn’t played since December 21 but should be back in the starting lineup against the Hawks. The 27-year-old has started 32 games for the Blazers this season, ranking fourth in scoring and assists while leading the team in rebounding. According to Basketball-Reference, Nurkic leads the team in Win Shares, sitting second in Value Over Replacement Player and third in Box Plus/Minus.
Larry Nance will move back to the pine with Nurkic available. Nance should be the first player off the bench, as Cody Zeller has not yet cleared protocols.
Nurkic’s return isn’t enough to shift the betting line in Portland’s favor. After opening as +3.5 underdogs, the Blazers are currently sitting as +4.5 home dogs, per the line info from FanDuel Sportsbook.
