PHOENIX — Forward Deni Avdija erupted for 41 points Tuesday night, guiding the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns and sealing the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2021.
The win locks Portland into the Western Conference’s No. 7 slot and sets up a first-round meeting with the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said, according to David Brandt of The Associated Press.
Avdija leads the way
The 24-year-old hit 15 of 22 shots and handed out 12 assists in the back-and-forth contest at Footprint Center. Veteran guard Jrue Holiday added 21 points, while forward Jerami Grant returned from a seven-game absence caused by a calf strain and contributed 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said of Avdija. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”
Suns head to play-in
Phoenix will have another opportunity to reach the postseason Friday in a home play-in game against either the Los Angeles Clippers or Golden State Warriors, depending on Wednesday’s results. The winner will claim the No. 8 seed and draw the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 1.
Bulls secure protected pick
Portland’s playoff berth also guarantees that the Trail Blazers’ top-14-protected first-round pick transfers to the Chicago Bulls, a condition tied to a 2021 offseason trade. The selection will be No. 15 overall if the Suns clinch the final playoff spot Friday; it will slide to No. 16 if the Clippers or Warriors advance. Chicago already owns the draft’s ninth-best lottery odds for its own pick.
League sets first-round calendar
Shortly after the Blazers–Suns game ended, the NBA released dates and times for all eight first-round series. Any necessary Game 7s are slated for May 2 or May 3. Conference semifinals are tentatively scheduled to start May 4, though some series could move up should earlier rounds conclude quickly.
Source: Hoops Rumors
