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The Portland Trail Blazers almost pulled off a shocking upset against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Cleveland entered the game with the best record in the NBA and in the middle of a nine-game winning streak. Portland, meanwhile, was in 12th place in the Western Conference. Yet, the Blazers pushed the game to overtime before falling by a final score of 133-129, as the Cavs extended their win streak to 10 games.
Despite the defeat, Blazers forward Deni Avdija recorded the first triple-double of his career, per StatMuse. He ultimately finished the game with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Deni Avdija emerging as reliable player with Blazers
Avdija, 24, is currently in his first season with Portland. He played in Washington with the Wizards from the 2020-21 season through the 2023-24 campaign. However, the Blazers acquired Avdija via a trade during the offseason.
He has played well in Portland, averaging 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Avdija has also shot 46.2 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc. He could be on the verge of joining Portland's core for the future as they continue to rebuild the team.
Although the Blazers have enjoyed some promising moments in 2024-25, it has been another down season overall for the team. The 27-34 Blazers may not be in last place in the Western Conference standings, but the 12th position is not ideal to say the least.
Portland is likely a couple of years away from truly contending, but Deni Avdija's emergence is certainly a reason for hope. With Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson on the roster, the Trail Blazers are developing a quality core of players. At the moment, the team is focused on trying to end the 2024-25 campaign on a high note.
The Blazers' next contest is scheduled for Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second of a back-to-back.
