Avdija’s 41 clinches Blazers
Portland beat Phoenix in the NBA play‑in on April 14, with Deni Avdija scoring 41 points to push the Trail Blazers into the playoffs. (sports.yahoo.com) Game packages and live coverage show Portland closing strongly in the fourth quarter to secure the win and end Phoenix’s first‑night chance at an immediate berth. ( )
Deni Avdija scored 41 points Tuesday night to send Portland past Phoenix 114-110 and into the National Basketball Association playoffs. (nba.com) Portland erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit in Phoenix, and Avdija’s three-point play with 16.1 seconds left gave the Trail Blazers the lead for good. (nba.com) The win locked Portland into the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed after a 42-40 regular season, while Phoenix, which finished 45-37, dropped into another play-in game. (espn.com) Avdija added seven rebounds and 12 assists on 15-of-22 shooting in his postseason debut, while Jalen Green scored 35 points for the Suns. (nba.com) The play-in tournament decides the last two playoff spots in each conference, with the No. 7 and No. 8 finishers getting two chances to qualify. Portland used its first chance; Phoenix did not. (nba.com) Portland had missed the playoffs for four straight seasons before Tuesday’s result, and the reward is a first-round series against San Antonio. Yahoo Sports reported that matchup was set after the Blazers advanced. (sports.yahoo.com) The closing stretch turned on execution more than pace: Portland won the fourth quarter 31-28 after being outscored 20-18 in the third. Phoenix had a chance to retake the lead late, but Jalen Green missed a three-pointer after Avdija’s go-ahead play. (espn.com) For Portland, the night ended with its highest-stakes game in years and its clearest answer yet on who carried it there. Avdija finished with the biggest scoring game of his National Basketball Association career on the night the Blazers ended their drought. (newsday.com)
