Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 103-91 win over Portland Trail Blazers

Bosnian Beast

The Bucks did a good job of limiting all of the Blazers’ scorers on Thursday, with the exception of one. Jusuf Nurkic, nicknamed the “Bosnian Bear”, tore the Bucks’ defense apart. Nurkic scored 25 points, on above 50 percent shooting, while also grabbing 11 boards, helping him to record a double-double.

The scoring started early for Nurkic who had 11 points in the first quarter, tearing up Bucks center John Henson. Nurkic also put the pressure on the Bucks’ depth, causing two first quarter fouls on Henson initiating an early substitution.

Nurkic plays an old, throwback style, that is rare in today’s NBA. He is comfortable with his back to the basket, able to score with either hand, and often bullies smaller defenders under the hoop with impressive strength.

His game is eerily similar to former Buck Greg Monroe. However, all the times Henson battled with Monroe in practice did not prepare him for the challenge he faced on Thursday night. Nurkic is bigger, stronger, and younger than Monroe, which was bad news for Henson and the Bucks alike.

Luckily, post-scoring has not been a consistent problem for the Bucks. Not many teams have a player with a similar thrashing style to Nurkic, making these struggles, hopefully, a one-game occurrence.