The Phoenix Suns have revealed the status of big man Jusuf Nurkić ahead of tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Nurkić (right ankle sprain) will be out tonight. He was added to the injury report as questionable yesterday in what is a very important game for the Suns (46-32). Phoenix is 1-4 this season without Nurkić. Drew Eubanks will start in his spot.
Nurkić hurt his ankle by stepping on Zion Williamson’s foot in Phoenix’s 113-105 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday, coach Frank Vogel said. He finished with six points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals against the Pelicans.
Right after this game tonight, the Suns will travel to Los Angeles and take on the Clippers again on Wednesday.
“We’ll see,” Vogel said of Nurkić playing in tomorrow’s game against the Clippers.
Meanwhile, for the Clippers (50-28), James Harden is out after he was added to the injury report earlier today as questionable with right foot inflammation. Russell Westbrook will start in his place.
Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery) remains out for Phoenix, as he has been all season. Vogel has said Lee will miss the rest of the regular season and could return some time in the playoffs.
#Suns Jusuf Nurkić (ankle) OUT vs #Clippers https://t.co/ymoczGLS6x
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) April 10, 2024
Additionally for the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard will miss his fifth consecutive game with right knee inflammation. Daniel Theis (left thumb sprain) will play after originally being questionable.
L.A. has gone 3-1 in this stretch without Leonard.
Tonight’s game tips off at 7 p.m. MST from Footprint Center. These two teams have not played since Jan. 8, a 138-111 beatdown by the Clippers in Los Angeles. This is still Phoenix’s worst loss by margin of defeat this season.
Phoenix needs every win it can get at this point, as it sits in sixth place in the Western Conference, tied with New Orleans. The Clippers are four games ahead of the Suns as the fourth seed in the West.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
