Jusuf Nurkic Misses Win Over Jazz With Ankle Soreness

Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic missed Friday night's 113-104 win over the Utah Jazz due to right ankle soreness.

Nurkic, who rolled his right ankle in Wednesday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, did not participate in Friday's morning shootaround and was ruled out for the game about an hour before tip-off.

With Nurkic out, Drew Eubanks started at center and finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Justise Winslow also saw extended minutes at center and finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

The Trail Blazers have now won two straight games without Nurkic in the lineup. They will be back in action on Sunday night when they host the Memphis Grizzlies.

Nurkic is averaging 14.5 and 11.1 rebounds per game this season. He is a key part of the Trail Blazers' defense and is one of the best rebounders in the NBA.

It is unclear how long Nurkic will be out with the ankle soreness. The Trail Blazers will likely provide an update on his status on Saturday.

In the meantime, the Trail Blazers will need to find a way to replace Nurkic's production. Eubanks and Winslow are both capable of filling in at center, but neither player is as good as Nurkic.

The Trail Blazers will also need to find a way to improve their defense without Nurkic. The Jazz scored 113 points on Friday night, which is more than the Trail Blazers have allowed in any other game this season.

The Trail Blazers will be tested on Sunday night when they host the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the Western Conference and they will be looking to avenge their loss to the Trail Blazers earlier this season.