5 takeaways from Portland Trail Blazers win over the Minnesota Timberwolves

Nurk put in work

Jusuf Nurkic was a key component in the defensive effort tonight, finishing the game with four blocks and three steals. He was everywhere, and his defense often led to easy buckets on the other end.

But it was more than just blocks. The Bosnian Beast filled the paint well throughout the entire game on both sides. When he wasn’t clogging the lane for the Wolves guards and forcing bad passes or taking it away on his own, he was using crafty moves for easy buckets down low.

In fact, Nurkic may have done one the best gazelle impressions of his career tonight:

But not only did he score in bunches and defend, but he also grabbed tons of boards and made some well-timed passes in the high post. He finished the night with a double-double on 22 points and 11 boards, with four assists for good measure.

However, if there was one blemish in his night, it was his six turnovers. Nurkic has continued being a little too casual with the ball, and he will need to clean this up to be considered a true member of a Rip City Big Three.

Still, he was vital to the team’s success.