Deni Avdija Ready to Battle Wembanyama’s Spurs in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs

The Portland Trail Blazers punched their ticket to the 2026 NBA Playoffs with a 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night. The win was stamped by Deni Avdija, the driving force behind the qualification with an XXL performance.

The second-highest scoring game of his career

The Israeli forward delivered the game of his life at the most crucial moment of the season. The former Wizards player finished with 41 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 38 minutes. He hit several ultra-clutch shots to seal the win, doing so with jaw-dropping efficiency: 15/22 from the field, 3/8 from three and 8/13 from the free-throw line.

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Thanks to their newly-minted All-Star’s heroics, the Oregon squad will face the San Antonio Spurs, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 62-20 record, in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday, April 19 at 9:00 PM.

The Spurs have been warned!

Despite Portland’s underdog status (42-40, 8th seed), Deni Avdija was confident coming off the win against Phoenix. Speaking on Prime Video, the forward assessed the challenge ahead: « They (the Spurs) are a great team, very talented. You know, they’re young too so they don’t have a lot of playoff experience either. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be a fight. We’re going to give everything we have and I really believe in this team. We can do anything if we stay together, stay connected. We’ll be ready to play. »

Deni on facing the Spurs:

« They’re young too so they don’t have a lot of playoff experience as well. It’s gonna be a fight » pic.twitter.com/85dZzBM0xd

— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 15, 2026

While regular season stats give the Spurs a slight edge — they won two of the three head-to-head matchups — Deni Avdija shone individually in those games, averaging 31.7 points, 8.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds. He also posted remarkable shooting percentages of 54.8% overall and 52.9% from three on 38.7 minutes per game. That elite production gives the Blazers plenty of reason for hope, and promises a series that could be far more competitive than the standings suggest.