In a thrilling play-in tournament matchup Tuesday night, Deni Avdija delivered a spectacular 41-point performance that propelled the Portland Trail Blazers to a dramatic 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns, overcoming an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.
The decisive moment came when Avdija converted a crucial three-point play with just 16.1 seconds on the clock, helping Portland snap a four-year postseason absence. The Trail Blazers will now face the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in their opening playoff series this Sunday.
Phoenix still has an opportunity to reach the postseason, as they’ll host Friday’s winner between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, who meet Wednesday. Friday’s victor will earn the eighth seed and challenge the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round.
The game’s final moments were filled with drama. Jordan Goodwin gave Phoenix a 110-109 advantage with a layup at the 32.5-second mark, though he failed to convert the subsequent free throw attempt. Portland capitalized on the miss and used a timeout to orchestrate Avdija’s game-changing drive to the basket.
Phoenix’s Jalen Green attempted a three-pointer with 8.9 seconds remaining but came up short. Matisse Thybulle secured the rebound for Portland, stole the ball from Goodwin, and found Jerami Grant open for an emphatic dunk with just six-tenths of a second left to seal the victory.
Avdija dominated the final period with 14 points while also contributing 12 assists and seven rebounds for the contest. His teammates provided valuable support, with Jrue Holiday contributing 21 points and Grant adding 16, including two critical three-pointers during Portland’s decisive 17-5 closing surge.
For the Suns, Green led all scorers with 35 points, while Devin Booker contributed 22 and Dillon Brooks chipped in 20 points in the losing effort.
Phoenix appeared to control the game’s momentum entering the final quarter, trailing by just one point at 83-82 before opening the fourth with an 11-0 run for a commanding 10-point advantage. This surge was part of a larger 24-4 run that began after Avdija had given Portland a 79-69 lead during the third quarter.
The Trail Blazers began their comeback when Holiday and Avdija connected on three-pointers, cutting Phoenix’s lead to 100-97 with 4:15 remaining. The momentum shifted further when Donovan Clingan was assessed a flagrant-1 foul for pulling down Brooks during Avdija’s successful shot attempt.
Grant’s three-pointer and two free throws from Shaedon Sharpe brought Portland within one point at 105-104 with 2:29 left on the clock. Grant’s subsequent three-pointer gave the Blazers their first lead of the quarter at 107-106, though Booker answered with free throws to put Phoenix back ahead 108-107 with 1:34 remaining.
Following a Portland turnover and a missed shot by Booker, Avdija drove to the basket for a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds left, setting the stage for the game’s thrilling conclusion.
