Report: Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic to return March 15

PORTLAND, Ore. — It’s the news Trail Blazers fans have been waiting for.

Portland center Jusuf Nurkic will reportedly make his return to the court on March 15, nearly one year after his devastating leg fracture.

The news was first reported by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Nurkic’s season debut will come in a Sunday home game against the Houston Rockets.

“I’m ready to help my team make the playoffs,” Nurkic told Yahoo. “It’s time.”

Nurkic told Haynes we won’t be playing 40 minutes per night, but he feels good. He said he’s ready to help in any way he can.

Nurkic said he was happy with the way his rehab progressed despite suffering a calf strain on Jan. 23.

The Blazers are in a race for the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference. They currently sit in ninth place, 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies. The Kings, Spurs and Pelicans are all within 1.5 games of Portland.

Nurkic suffered a gruesome compound fracture of his tibia and fibula on March 25, 2019.

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