Portland Trail Blazers: Top 10 moments of the 2018-19 NBA season

PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 23: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers waves goodbye to the Oklahoma City Thunder after hitting a last second 37 foot game winner to end Game Five of the Western Conference quarterfinals during the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center on April 23, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers won 118-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

6. Nurkic’s 20-20, 5×5 in New Year’s Day win at Kings

While Jusuf Nurkic’s season-ending injury in March is gruesome and unfortunate on its own, it’s also particularly gut-wrenching because it occurred in the midst of the best full season of his career.

His 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 50.8 percent field goal shooting in 2018-19 represented a career-high stat line. It’s never easy to watch a player have an injury cut them short when they’re on top.

Nurkic’s best game of the season was a 5×5 game — the first of his career — on New Year’s Day. The Bosnian Beast put up 24 points, 23 rebounds (career-high), seven assists, five blocks and five steals (matches career-high) in a 113-108 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings. It’s the first time in NBA history that a 5×5 player grabbed at least 20 rebounds.

This was an exhibition of everything Nurk does well. He’s a good inside scorer with a hint of range, a strong rebounder, a smart passer and an imposing defensive presence at the rim. All of those skills were cranked up to 11 in this game. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of this once he fully recovers from his injury.

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