Avdija’s 41 sends Portland
Portland beat Phoenix to clinch a playoff berth, and Deni Avdija led the way with a 41‑point outing in what the reports call a career‑high postseason performance. ( ). The package of the game and Avdija’s scoring surge was singled out in highlight reels and live coverage as one of Tuesday’s defining play‑in moments. (espn.com)
Portland is back in the National Basketball Association playoffs after Deni Avdija scored 41 points in a 114-110 play-in win over Phoenix on Tuesday, April 14. (apnews.com) Avdija’s night turned on a three-point play with 16.1 seconds left, which put Portland ahead for good as the Trail Blazers erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit in Phoenix. (espn.com) The box score was bigger than the headline number: Avdija finished 15 of 22 from the field with 7 rebounds and 12 assists, and Portland claimed the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed. (nba.com) That sends the Trail Blazers into a first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs, while the Suns drop into another play-in game with their season still at risk. (sports.yahoo.com) The result mattered because Portland finished the regular season 42-40 and had to win on the road to avoid a second elimination game. Phoenix entered at 45-37 and had home court, but gave up the direct path to the bracket. (espn.com) For Avdija, the performance landed in his first postseason appearance and extended a breakout year that already included his first All-Star selection, according to the Associated Press recap carried by National Basketball Association and regional outlets. (nba.com) (opb.org) Phoenix still got 35 points from Jalen Green, but Portland closed the game better, with Jerami Grant adding the late basket that iced the final margin. (espn.com) (apnews.com) By the end, the play-in opener had flipped from a Suns home game into Portland’s playoff clincher, with Avdija’s late and-one standing as the possession that changed the bracket. (nba.com)
