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Avdija's 41-Point Masterclass
Deni Avdija led the Portland Trail Blazers to a stunning 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
“Deni Avdija scored 41 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win”
Avdija scored 41 points, shot 15-of-22 from the field, and added 12 assists and seven rebounds.
He capped the game with a go-ahead three-point play with 16.1 seconds left.
The Blazers rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Jrue Holiday scored 21 points and Jerami Grant returned from injury to add 16.
The Suns were led by Jalen Green's 35 points and Devin Booker's 22.
Playoff Implications
The Blazers' win secures the No. 7 seed and a first-round matchup against the Spurs.
The Suns will have to play a win-or-go-home game against the Clippers or Warriors.
The Suns entered the play-in as the seventh seed at 45-37.
The Blazers had finished the regular season 28th in three-point shooting at 34.3%.
Portland's late-season surge saw them win 10 of 14 games.
Injury and Rotation Notes
The Suns were without Grayson Allen, who was downgraded to out.
“The Suns were without Grayson Allen, who was downgraded from questionable to out”
Jerami Grant returned for the Blazers after missing eight games.
Portland started Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, and Avdija.
The Suns started Booker, Green, Goodwin, Brooks, and Williams.
The Blazers' center tandem of Clingan and Robert Williams was highlighted as a key matchup factor.
Portland is the sixth-best rebounding team at 46.0 per game.
Coverage and Broadcast
The game was played before a sellout crowd of 17,071 at the Mortgage Matchup Center.
It was streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
The Blazers will face the Spurs in San Antonio with Game 1 set for April 19.
The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on April 17.
The Blazers' victory ended a five-year playoff drought.