The Trail Blazers have secured the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a victory in the Play-In duel and will now face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs.
Avdija dominated the game at times, finishing as the clear leading scorer with 41 points. The Blazers’ star shooting guard repeatedly found his way to the basket or to the free-throw line (8/13 FT) and also hit his long-range shots (3/8 3FG). Furthermore, he shone as a playmaker with 12 assists. «He just does everything for us,» gushed Jrue Holiday afterwards.
Phoenix Suns (W7) — Portland Trail Blazers (W8) 110:114
Despite Avdija’s strong performance, Head Coach Tiago Splitter’s team was still trailing by eleven points with seven minutes left in the game. However, the Blazers gradually clawed their way back, and Jerami Grant, who had missed the last seven games of the regular season, gave them a 107:106 lead from downtown with 1:54 remaining.
In the closing moments, the momentum swung back and forth. Avdija gave the Blazers a final lead with an and-one play 16 seconds before the buzzer (112:110). On the other end, Jalen Green’s three-pointer was slightly off. Although Jordan Goodwin secured the offensive rebound, Matisse Thybulle snatched the ball from his hands, and Holiday sealed the victory with a final dunk.
Defensive Fight: Blazers Stop Booker
For Holiday, these were points 20 and 21. Alongside Avdija, the guard was Portland’s only starter to score in double digits. Scoot Henderson contributed 9 points, Toumani Camara 8, and Donovan Clingan a mere 2 points. However, the center battled for every ball as usual, collecting 11 rebounds and giving his team a second chance six times. Meanwhile, Shaedon Sharpe (12 PTS) and Grant (16 PTS) provided consistent scoring from the bench.
Only four players on the Suns reached double digits. Jalen Green was his usual prolific self, taking 29 shots and making 14 of them. With 35 points, he was by far his team’s best scorer. «He carried us through this game,» his teammate Devin Booker acknowledged with respect.
This was partly because Booker himself struggled to find his rhythm. The guard often had to rely on free throws to get on the scoreboard (8/13 FT). Otherwise, the tough Blazers defense gave him little space, and Booker was completely ineffective from long range. In the fourth quarter, he didn’t make a single field goal and also missed a crucial free throw.
Dillon Brooks added 20 points but fouled out before the final possession. Goodwin scored 12 points.
Wembanyama Awaits Portland — Suns Get Second Chance
In the second quarter, the Blazers had pulled ahead 55:41 in the hard-fought game, but the Suns narrowed the gap to 62:65 by halftime. The third quarter turned into a shooting festival of missed opportunities. Portland barely made any shots (6/21 FG, 1/11 3FG), but Phoenix fared little better (8/22 FG, 2/8 3FG).
The Suns started the fourth quarter much stronger, building an 11:0 run before the late Blazers surge broke their hearts. Phoenix will need to recover quickly from this bitter defeat. Jordan Ott’s team will have another chance to make the playoffs on Saturday night, playing for the final Western Conference playoff spot against the winner of the game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.
The Blazers, on the other hand, can already celebrate their advancement to the first round. As the seventh seed, they will face San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama in a best-of-seven series.