The Trail Blazers had two starters go down with injuries on Wednesday night against Memphis. Center Jusuf Nurkic, who was probable entering the game with left calf soreness, aggravated the injury after just two minutes of action and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, Portland announced.
Forward Jerami Grant was also ruled out after 20 minutes of playing time after having concussion-like symptoms, per the team. If Grant did indeed suffer a concussion, he will have to clear the NBA’s protocol before returning to the court.
Despite being down both players, the Blazers came away with a much-needed 122-112 victory, snapping an eight-game home winning streak for the Grizzlies. Memphis has now lost six of seven after winning 11 straight, notes Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
Backup center Drew Eubanks had a strong performance in place of Nurkic, recording 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 23 minutes. If Nurkic is sidelined for additional time, Eubanks will continue to receive an uptick in minutes.
As for Grant’s replacement, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups elected to go small, with Gary Payton II receiving a season-high 29 minutes. Trendon Watford and Nassir Little are also candidates for more playing time.
The Blazers are now 25-26 through 51 games.
