Deni Avdija showed he has a little bit of the clutch gene in his initial foray into postseason basketball.
The first-time All-Star followed a breakout regular season with a fantastic all-around performance in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, scoring 41 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after clawing back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They’ll face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
The Suns will host the winner of Wednesday’s LA Clippers–Golden State Warriors game Friday. Whichever team wins Friday’s matchup will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs; the loser’s season will be over.
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