Jusuf Nurkic Injures Ankle, X-Rays Negative

Late in Monday night’s game against the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers big man Jusuf Nurkic left the game and went straight to the locker room after landing awkwardly and appearing to twist his right ankle. After the game, the Blazers announced that X-Rays came back negative.

The Oregonian’s Mike Richman wrote later that Nurkic, without a walking boot, was visibly limping in the locker room. However, he would not rule out playing Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

"If it's up to me, definitely," Nurkic said when asked if he thought he be able to play in the Blazers' next game Saturday against the Houston Rockets. "Right now, nah? But I have a still a couple days so we'll how it's going to affect (me) tomorrow and we'll go from there."

With 6:30 remaining in the fourth quarter Nurkic rolled to the rim, caught the pass and pulled up for an awkward floater that he would hit before landing with his right leg wrapped around Marcin Gortat’s leg.

Nurkic stayed in to take his free throw then left and was attended to at the desk by Blazers’ staff before being escorted down the tunnel and to the locker room.

Early reports have the injury as a right ankle sprain.

Blazers forward Moe Harkless was also injured Tuesday, colliding with Washington’s Otto Porter. He has a left quad contusion, and his status for Saturday is uncertain. Also from Mike Richman’s recap, Harkless said

"I just don't want to be out there limping because then you become a liability," Harkless said. "Just get treatment on it the next few days and hopefully be ready to go."