Deni Avdija’s magical season, the greatest ever by an Israeli basketball player in the NBA, came to an end overnight as Portland fell 114-95 to San Antonio, lost the series 4-1 and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Still, the Trail Blazers’ No. 8 can leave the court with plenty to be proud of. Avdija became a true star in the world’s best league, made his All-Star debut and became the first Israeli to play in, and win, an NBA playoff game. He carried Portland on his back for long stretches and has firmly marked himself as the player expected to lead the franchise for years to come.
The expected loss to the Spurs did not change the bigger picture. Avdija was again Portland’s bright spot, finishing with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including 1-of-6 from 3-point range and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line, along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a block in 32 minutes.
San Antonio, meanwhile, continued to look like a contender. The Spurs, who finished the regular season second in the Western Conference, will enter the next round as favorites against either Denver or Minnesota, with the Timberwolves leading that series 3-2. Victor Wembanyama again looked like an alien, in the best possible sense, while Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox gave San Antonio a lethal scoring duo. A Western Conference finals meeting with Oklahoma City would surprise no one.
Avdija opened the game with Portland’s first basket, but momentum quickly swung the other way. Julian Champagnie buried two straight 3-pointers, Castle completed a quick 12-2 run and Blazers coach Tiago Splitter was forced into an early timeout. It did little to stop the Spurs.
Avdija remained Portland’s best player, but Fox found his rhythm and Champagnie added another 3-pointer as San Antonio pushed ahead 25-14. The Israeli forward had 8 points in the first quarter, but the Spurs refused to slow down and ended the period up 36-24.
San Antonio kept rolling in the second quarter. Keldon Johnson, who received the Sixth Man of the Year award before the game, added points off the bench, Harrison Barnes hit a 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 20 and Wembanyama buried another from deep to make it 54-28. Portland woke up too late. Jrue Holiday scored his first points, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan helped complete a 9-0 run, but the Spurs answered with a 13-0 burst of their own and went into halftime leading 65-45. Avdija had 16 points at the break.
Avdija opened the third quarter with his 18th point, but soon went to the bench after being called for a flagrant foul. Robert Williams became the second Portland player to reach double figures, but San Antonio’s lead was never seriously in doubt. The Spurs led 86-65 entering the fourth.
Portland briefly threatened a late comeback, cutting the deficit to nine with a 17-5 run that forced Mitch Johnson into a timeout. Fox responded with seven straight points, restoring San Antonio’s control at 102-88 with five minutes left. From there, everyone in the arena knew how it would end, including Portland’s fans.
The final buzzer confirmed it: 114-95 to the Spurs, 4-1 in the series and the end of Avdija’s unforgettable season.