What Happened to Jusuf Nurkic? Déjà VU Strikes as Clint Capela Sends Suns Star to Locker Room

The Phoenix Suns are in a heated battle with the Atlanta Hawks. After trailing by 7 points in the first quarter, Kevin Durant and Co. have made an amazing comeback in tonight’s game. However, a major blow to the Suns during the third quarter could ruin their chances of defeating the Hawks. Their Center, Jusuf Nurkic, headed to the locker room after getting hit in the face by Clint Capela.

Capela was trying to block Grayson Allen’s layup attempt but accidentally hit Nurkic in the eye during the swing. Nurkic immediately fell to the floor and looked in immense pain after the blow. He then left the game covering his face to get his injury assessed.

Game official Tony Brothers went to the replay Center to review the play and called a loose ball foul on Capela. He did not penalize the Hawks Center with a technical foul because the blow to Nurkic was unintentional. The momentum of Capela’s hand after blocking Allen’s shot led to an inadvertent blow to Nurkic’s face. Fortunately, Nurkic returned to the Suns’ bench but did not play for the rest of the third quarter.

The blow from Clint Capela to Nurkic’s face was a Déjà vu moment for the Suns Center. During last December’s game against the Golden State Warriors, Nurkic took a similar hit from Forward Draymond Green. However, Green’s shot was not unintentional like Capela’s.

Draymond swung his arm and punched Nurkic in the face during a tussle. The Warriors forward got ejected from the game and later got suspended indefinitely by the NBA.

Jusuf Nurkic’s contribution in a star-studded Suns team

The Phoenix Suns have one of the most lethal offenses in the league. They have three elite scorers, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Amid Phoenix’s star-studded lineup, Center Jusuf Nurkic has perfectly found his role in the roster. He has been the defensive anchor for the Suns, helping their Big 3 operate more freely on offense. Nurkic has been great on both ends of the floor, averaging 11.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks.

Nurkic has missed 4 games this season, and the Suns have lost all 4 of those games. That proves how important he is for the Suns’ success. Nurkic has also played through several injuries throughout the season. He even returned to the floor in the 4th quarter tonight despite injuring his face. Suns head coach Frank Vogel revealed after the game that Nurkic did not undergo concussion protocol which is a great sign. With only 12 games remaining in the regular season and the playoffs getting closer, the Suns need Jusuf Nurkic to stay healthy and available for the rest of the season.

Read More: Suns Injury Report: Jusuf Nurkic Further Increases Phoenix’s Dilemma With Bradley Beal Questionable