Deni Avdija scored 41 points on 15-of-22 shooting to lead the Portland Trail Blazers past the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the West 7v8 Play-In game on Tuesday night. Jrue Holiday added 22. Portland earn the 7 seed and face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
Avdija became the fifth player in Play-In Tournament history to post 40 or more points, joining Jayson Tatum, Coby White, Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis. On a night when Damian Lillard (Achilles, missed all season) was absent and Scoot Henderson was limited after returning from injury, Avdija carried a team to the playoff bracket.
Phoenix had arrived as the 8 seed with Devin Booker available after managing an ankle issue. It was not enough.
What it means
Portland face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs finished as the West 2 seed. Phoenix drop into the loser’s bracket and face the loser of tonight’s West 9v10 game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers. A Suns win on Friday earns them the 8 seed and extends their season. A loss ends it.
For Portland, this is a meaningful result. A team without its franchise point guard reaching the first round on the back of an Avdija performance of this kind was not written into any season preview.
The Avdija number
41 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds on 15-of-22 shooting. It is nearly a triple-double alongside one of the highest-scoring outputs in Play-In history. That combination of scoring and playmaking in a playoff-pressure elimination game is rare. The company he joins — Tatum, Zion, AD, Coby White, reflects the level of the performance.
What to watch next
Tonight’s West 9v10 (Warriors vs Clippers, 10pm ET) determines Phoenix’s Friday opponent. Stephen Curry is confirmed playing for Golden State after a 27-game absence, on a minutes restriction. Kawhi Leonard’s status for the Clippers was uncertain as of Wednesday morning.
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