What happened to Jusuf Nurkic? Latest injury update as Suns center exits game vs Spurs (March 25)

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic won't return against the San Antonio Spurs. Nurkic sprained his ankle after stepping on a Spurs player's foot in the third quarter. He exited the game shortly. It's a tough blow for the Suns, who have been injury-prone all year.

It's been a struggle for them to have their core on the floor together, with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal also missing considerable time. The star backcourt has missed a combined 43 games. Meanwhile, Nurkic has been reliable, playing 67 of the 71 games.

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He's averaged 11.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Nurkic proved to be an excellent offseason addition to Deandre Ayton. He's been a better fit next to Kevin Durant on the frontcourt as a connector on both ends, especially defensively, where he's held his own against the NBA's best bigs due to his size and physicality.

The Suns will hope his injury isn't a long-term setback as the playoffs are around the corner. Phoenix hopes to contend for a top-six spot against the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and LA Lakers. Nurkic missing time could make things increasingly difficult for the Suns to avoid the play-in tournament.

Jusuf Nurkic's exit piles on Phoenix's misery against Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs

The Suns are in a tough spot against the shorthanded Suns, playing without Victor Wembanyama. Jusuf Nurkic's exit has piled on their misery further. Phoenix has trailed by 11 points in the first half. They came back and took a nine-point lead, but the Spurs have gone on a run themselves to snatch the lead again.

Nurkic didn't have the best of games offensively, tallying only six points on 3-of-9 shooting. However, he made a difference on the boards, grabbing nine rebounds. He also had four assists and two blocks.

The Suns also blew their lead after Nurkic's injury and lost 104-102 to lose the season series 3-1 against the Spurs. The Suns also lost some grip on the standings.

They are 42-30 on the season, eighth in the West and only two games ahead of the ninth-placed Lakers (39-32) in the loss column. Notably, the Suns don't hold the tie-breaker advantage over the Lakers, meaning if the teams end up with the same record, LA will get the higher seeding.

The Suns have a difficult schedule ahead, and if they can't stay healthy, there's a realistic chance they could drop to ninth in the West. They will need to win consecutive knockout games to secure the eighth seed in the playoffs.