The Suns big man compared himself to the legendary center, but not in a good way.
The Phoenix Suns topped the Houston Rockets 110-105 on Thursday night in a game that saw Houston play physically against Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic.
The Rockets were more than content to send the Suns big man to the foul line repeatedly, where shot a paltry 8-16.
After the game, Nurkic compared himself to NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, per Duane Rankin of AZ Central:
“I definitely was Shaq tonight.”
Jusuf Nurkic on going 8-of-16 from the line as #Rockets fouled him on purpose in 4th. Said he hopes teams do it again.
On rookie Cam Whitmore with back-and-forth with Devin Booker. “(Whitmore) was on some bullshit the last game too.” #Suns pic.twitter.com/Zx5aarRLNS
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 1, 2024
“‘I definitely was Shaq tonight.’ Jusuf Nurkic on going 8-of-16 from the line as #Rockets fouled him on purpose in 4th. Said he hopes teams do it again. On rookie Cam Whitmore with back-and-forth with Devin Booker. “(Whitmore) was on some bullshit the last game too.” #Suns”
Suns All-Star Devin Booker and Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore got into a minor scuffle midway through the fourth quarter Thursday night and both players were called for a technical foul.
With a couple big blocks on the ensuing possession, Nurkic was there to back his star teammate up.
Nurkic had 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out. His biggest moment came in the fourth, when he stuffed Whitmore twice on the possession following the scuffle, drawing huge roars from the Suns crowd.
The Suns held on for the win despite not having star Bradley Beal for the fifth straight game. Beal was initially questionable for Thursday night’s matchup, but the Suns ruled both he and Eric Gordon out shortly before tipoff, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
He originally injured his hamstring in the first half of Phoenix’s Feb. 13th victory against the Sacramento Kings.
About the Author
Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting “The Pulse with Peter Sampson” in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer’s Edge and XRAY.FM – where his show “Blazer’s Edge Radio” was named “Portland’s Best Sports Radio” in the 2017 Willamette Week reader’s poll. When he’s not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.
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