PHOENIX — Deni Avdija confirmed he has a bit little bit of the clutch gene in his preliminary foray into postseason basketball.
The primary-time All-Star adopted a breakout common season with a unbelievable all-around efficiency in Tuesday’s NBA play-in match, scoring 41 factors to steer the Portland Path Blazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 seed within the Western Convention playoffs.
The Blazers are again within the playoffs for the primary time since 2021 after clawing again from an 11-point deficit within the fourth quarter. They will face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs within the first spherical.
“It is the very best factor that is ever occurred to me in my profession to date,” Avdija mentioned.
The Suns will host the winner of Wednesday’s LA Clippers-Golden State Warriors sport Friday. Whichever workforce wins Friday’s matchup will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder within the playoffs; the loser’s season will likely be over.
Avdija, 25, had by no means performed within the NBA’s postseason till Tuesday, toiling for greater than 5 years on mediocre groups in Washington and Portland, however he regarded comfy on the larger stage. He had the profitable three-point play with 16.1 seconds left, scoring on a bodily take to the rim whereas being fouled after which changing a free throw.
Avdija grew to become the fifth participant to attain 40 or extra factors in a play-in sport, becoming a member of Jayson Tatum for the Boston Celtics in 2021 (50), Coby White for the Chicago Bulls in 2024 (42), Anthony Davis for the Dallas Mavericks in 2025 (40) and Zion Williamson for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2024 (40).
Blazers guard Jrue Vacation, a two-time NBA champion with Milwaukee and Boston, mentioned he was impressed with Avdija’s composure. Avdija shot 15-of-22 from the sector and added 12 assists and 7 rebounds.
Vacation mentioned the very best a part of Avdija’s efficiency was it was “type of an off evening.”
“I really feel like he is distinctive. No person does what he does,” Vacation mentioned. “Deni popping out right here, carrying us, particularly down the stretch, getting that profitable bucket and having the ability to go dwelling realizing we’re enjoying San Antonio is one thing you like to see in Deni as a result of that is what we anticipate from him now.”
Avdija and the remainder of the younger Blazers saved their cool throughout a bodily sport that featured loads of arduous fouls. Vacation completed with 21 factors and Jerami Grant returned from a calf harm to attain 16.
“I feel again to the start of the season, we weren’t very disciplined at staying collectively and ending video games,” Avdija mentioned. “I really feel like we confirmed character right now. We confirmed progress, we confirmed character, we confirmed we had been able to conserving our composure and making profitable performs.”
Blazers coach Tiago Splitter agreed that Avdija did not have his greatest evening regardless of the large numbers. He mentioned the 6-foot-8 ahead’s subsequent check will likely be dealing with a Spurs workforce that can throw totally different seems at him on protection in a playoff collection.
If Tuesday evening was any indication, he’ll be simply wonderful.
“He simply saved going, saved believing in himself,” Splitter mentioned. “Scored a pair buckets on the finish there. Just a little little bit of what he did the entire season, performed 38 minutes, had the ball lots and determined the sport.”
The Related Press and ESPN Analysis contributed to this report.
