Although Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant returned for the Phoenix Suns against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Suns’ third NBA Cup game, their performances were overshadowed by Phoenix’s big man, Jusuf Nurkic. On the night, Nurkic had 12 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 27 minutes of action.
While the numbers weren’t eye-popping compared to Durant and Beal’s 23 points each, the Bosnian center’s impact was felt on all sides. After a lackluster first half, it looked like a familiar tale. Nurkic was bound to be a part of a masterclass by Lakers big man Anthony Davis.
However, the beginning of the third quarter highlighted an interesting paradox. Nurkic opened the quarter by scoring the first 10 Suns points. Los Angeles was switching nearly every screen to get to either Beal, Durant, or Devin Booker. As a result, they took advantage and had Nurkic put the smaller defender in the blender. A barrage of post-ups increased his point total from two points to 12.
While Nurkic was putting people in the torture rack, he remained patient throughout the game. Suns’ head coach Mike Budenholzer explained after the game that the minute details will be rewarded throughout the game.
“I kind of keep kind repeating it, but I think it starts with him being a great screensetter,” Budenholzer said. “Him getting switches, him getting rolls, him finding position around the basket but it’s not necessarily designed, You get good hits, you get good screens, you’re freeing your teammates up and then sometimes the ball will find you in the post.”
Jusuf Nurkic’s dirty work is seen by Suns teamamtes
Doing the dirty work goes a long way when there’s a team surrounded by three all-stars and likely three Hall-of-Famers. However, Nurkic has made his presence around the basket and on the glass. Not to mention, Budenholzer has challenged Nurkic to shoot a plethora of threes. He made one of his four attempts in Monday’s game.
One of the highlights of the game had nothing to do with Nurkic scoring or rebounding the ball. His physicality was a true X-factor, as he laid a devastating screen on Lakers guard Austin Reaves. He was down for quite some time, as he simply ran right into the Phoenix big man. During that play, it set up Booker for a three-point field goal. Following the game, he explained to reporters how the numbers don’t do justice to Nurkic’s performance.
“I think this is one of his best games of the season this year,” Booker said. “We’ve been rallying behind him. I tried to switch one through five for a segment, and he punished the smaller defender every time, as well as making plays.”
For Beal, his 23-point performance cannot be overlooked, especially with only playing 27 minutes. However, he had no problem and wanted to give credit to Nurkic. The two were playing off of each other all night. Dribble handoffs, tons and tons of screens to set up Beal for open looks.
Jusuf Nurkić with 9-straight points to start the second half ☀️ pic.twitter.com/dzRvuA5HWL
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 27, 2024
Jusuf Nurkic’s physicality unlocked another dimension of the offense
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Beal brought the ball up the floor a variety of times throughout the game. His chemistry with Nurkic hasn’t dampened since his injury. Monday’s win highlighted Nurkic’s continuity within the Suns. Regardless, Beal gave props to his big man for taking advantage of what Los Angeles was giving them in the third quarter.
“Well, they were switching a lot… teams that do that are either going to punish you with dribble drives or have the big fella, kind of seal and take his time down there,” Beal said. “I think he did a lot better at just being patient. Not rushing his shots, not rushing his moves, and just burying everybody on the basket.
“That’s really what he did at the same time he scored. When he does that, now they have to adjust defensively how they want to guard, and what personnel they run on the floor. Then, it’s just another layer of versatility for us.”
Although Nurkic has received unnecessary hate from Suns fans, his impact is immeasurable. The Phoenix center even said to PHNX’s Gerald Bourguet in the locker room.
“I’ve been judged, I feel like, for the most part since I’ve got here, the most.” He also added that the criticizing fans are “not real fans, man. You go out there in Phoenix, you see the real fans. The internet, it ain’t the real world, man.”
Even if criticism continues to fly the Bosnian’s way, his teammates know the irreplaceable impact he brings on a nightly basis. The Suns take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday as part of a back-to-back for Phoenix. The Nets took down the Golden State Warriors in convincing fashion on Monday, so their contest could present an interesting matchup. With Nicolas Claxton uncertain to play, it could be another big night for Nurkic. This time, his statistics might gouge out on the box scores.