If you want a snapshot of why Jusuf Nurkic has been scuffling through the Trail Blazers’ early season, consider this: Each time he goes to check his phone at halftime, he braces for what news it might bring.
See, the Blazers center has part of his mind, and part of his heart, back in Bosnia, his home country.
Nurkic said he is still thinking about, and dealing with, a family issue in his home country, which has played a part in his slow start for the Blazers.
“Basketball is a priority for me right now, but we are all human beings, we are all dealing with everything going on … outside our bubble, outside in the world, families and everything,” Nurkic said.
Nurkic on Thursday played perhaps his best game of the early season, finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds while hitting 8-of-10 shots in the Blazers’ 135-117 win over Minnesota. But it’s been a rocky road on his way back to his old, dominant…
