Deni Avdija became the first Israeli player to reach the NBA playoffs, pouring in 41 points—including a go-ahead three-point play with 16.1 seconds remaining—as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night.
Avdija added 12 assists, seven rebounds and two blocks, repeatedly coming up with clutch baskets down the stretch to lift Portland on the road.
ISRAELI DENI AVDIJA CLINCHED THE NBA PLAYOFFS!🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱👏👏
— Sports Rabbi (@thesportsrabbi) April 15, 2026
41 POINTS
12 ASSISTS
7 REBOUNDS pic.twitter.com/ejn2OcnXL7
Jordan Goodwin’s driving layup put Phoenix up 110-109 with 32 seconds left, but Avdija answered with a hard drive to the rim, converted the layup through contact and hit the free throw for a 112-110 lead. Jalen Green missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer on the ensuing possession and Goodwin’s offensive rebound was stripped by Matisse Thybulle, allowing the Blazers to close it out at the line.
Portland clinched the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, while the Suns get one more chance at home Friday against the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game for the No. 8 seed and a series with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
41 points and the GAME-WINNER for Deni Avdija pic.twitter.com/yRVYXLlEh6
— Halftime Hoops (@_halftimehoops) April 15, 2026
The 25-year-old, Israeli-born forward in February became the first Israeli to play in an NBA All-Star Game.
“Leading the Portland Trail Blazers as one of the NBA’s rising stars, Deni continues to make history,” Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter stated after Avdija was voted into the NBA All-Star game. “We’re excited to watch your career grow and will be cheering you on every step of the way.”
