PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Jusuf Nurkic will start for the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3 of their playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
Nurkic missed the final seven games of the regular season and the first two playoff games at Golden State because of a nondisplaced fracture in his right leg.
There has been speculation the 7-foot center, known as the Bosnian Beast, could return for the playoffs because he has been shooting around in warmups.
The Trail Blazers announced that Nurkic would start on Saturday night a little more than an hour before the game.
The Warriors hold a 2-0 advantage in the series. Golden State was without coach Steve Kerr (illness) and star Kevin Durant (strained left calf) for Game 3.