Deni Avdija, along with basketball fans across Israel, is counting down to All-Star Weekend, which tips off Saturday in Los Angeles. The main event — the games between the Stars, Stripes and World teams, featuring the 25-year-old forward — will take place overnight between Sunday and Monday.
Early Monday morning, Avdija made his first appearance since being selected to the All-Star team and did not disappoint, posting a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds in just 27 minutes as Portland cruised to a 135–118 win over Philadelphia.
“At first I was a little tired, a little rusty,” Avdija said after the game, in which he wore an All-Star patch on his jersey for the first time. “But I know how to play simple, make the right plays and the game opened up for me. I’m still not in 100% shape like I want to be — its going to take a couple of games. It was a necessary break for me. Now my back is good and I’m continuing to move forward.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming All-Star festivities, he added: “Honestly, I don’t really know what to expect, but of course I’m looking forward to the people of Israel and the fans who will come to support me, and to seeing the Israeli flag behind my jersey. It gives me a push, but there are still many things I want to accomplish in my career. It’s a great milestone and it’s fun, but at the end of the day this is a team sport and there’s still a very long road ahead in my career. I’d love to achieve many more things like the playoffs and a championship, if possible. It gives me confidence, but maybe I’ll sound crazy — I don’t think I’ve reached my peak yet. That’s how I feel.”
A gesture from his teammates
Before the Blazers star’s comeback, Avdija received a warm tribute from head coach Tiago Splitter and his teammates, who presented him with a basketball decorated with roses — a nod to Portland’s nickname, the Rose City — in honor of his All-Star selection.
After the game, Splitter could not help but praise the Israeli forward. “I didn’t expect Deni to be this aggressive in his first game back,” the coach said of Avdija, who finished just two assists shy of his fourth triple-double of the season. “His movement on defense, the rebounds he grabbed — I’m really pleased with his sharpness, his approach and his aggressiveness.”
“When Deni is on the floor, the defense collapses on him, so we play faster,” Splitter added. “That’s the kind of basketball we envisioned from the start of the season. We have players who can push the ball, get into the paint and kick it out. We finished with 35 assists — in that sense, it was one of our best games of the season.”
Avdija became the fourth player in Portland history with the most games recording at least 25 points, 19 rebounds and five assists, tying LaMarcus Aldridge and Mychal Thompson.
'His usual magic'
Toumani Camara, who led Portland scorers with a career-high 30 points (8 of 10 shooting), said of his returning teammate — who came back after missing four games and helped the Blazers secure their third straight win — “It’s much easier for us when Deni plays. There’s a reason he’s an All-Star. Defenses focus on his drives to the basket, which frees up other players. He’s a team player who loves to find the pass.”
The win over Philadelphia was Portland’s third straight, lifting the team to ninth place in the Western Conference at 28–25. The Blazers will look to keep the momentum going in their next game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (3:00 a.m. Thursday). Before Avdija’s historic All-Star appearance overnight between Sunday and Monday, Portland will play one more game, against Utah (4:00 a.m. Friday).