Blazers in after Avdija 41
Portland clinched a playoff spot when Deni Avdija scored 41 points and hit an and‑1 layup late to seal the win, knocking the bracket into clearer shape during the NBA Play‑In round (sports.yahoo.com). The Hornets also beat the Heat in overtime after Coby White hit a game‑tying 3 in the final seconds of regulation, keeping Charlotte alive in the play‑in picture (nytimes.com).
Portland grabbed the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed Tuesday night, beating Phoenix 114-110 behind Deni Avdija’s 41 points and a late three-point play. (nba.com) Avdija put Portland ahead for good with 16.1 seconds left, finishing an and-one layup after Jordan Goodwin had given Phoenix a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds remaining. Portland erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit and closed the game when Matisse Thybulle stripped Goodwin after a Suns miss. (nba.com) The win sends the Trail Blazers to a first-round series against the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs, while the Suns now host the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers-Golden State Warriors game for the West’s final playoff berth on Friday, April 17. (nba.com) Portland had not reached the playoffs since 2021, and Avdija’s line in his postseason debut went beyond scoring: he shot 15 for 22 from the field and added 12 assists and seven rebounds. Jrue Holiday scored 21 points, and Jerami Grant returned from a calf injury to add 16. (sports.yahoo.com) The Play-In Tournament is built to sort out the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. The No. 7-No. 8 winner advances directly to the playoffs, while the loser gets one more game against the No. 9-No. 10 winner for the last spot. (nba.com) That second path stayed alive in the East because Charlotte beat Miami 127-126 in overtime in the No. 9-No. 10 game, ending the Heat’s season and moving the Hornets one win from the playoffs. (espn.com) Coby White forced overtime with a game-tying three-pointer with 10.8 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, LaMelo Ball scored on a layup with 4.7 seconds remaining, and Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell at the buzzer. (sports.yahoo.com) The bracket is clearer now than it was at tipoff on April 14. Portland is locked into San Antonio starting Sunday, April 19, and Charlotte advances to face the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic game for the East’s No. 8 seed. (sports.yahoo.com)
