Israeli Forward Deni Avdija Leads Portland to NBA Playoffs in Historic 41-Point Performance
Portland Trail Blazers forward delivers game-winning play in a landmark NBA playoff moment for Israeli basketball.
Deni Avdija scored 41 points and converted a three-point play with 16.1 seconds remaining to send the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA playoffs on Tuesday night, becoming the first Israeli player to reach the postseason in league history. Portland secured the seventh seed in the Western Conference and will face San Antonio in the first round. Deni Avdija became the second Israeli player to reach the NBA playoffs, following T.J. Leaf, who made it with the Indiana Pacers in 2018
The Numbers
Avdija’s 41 points rank among the standout performances of this year’s play-in round. He shot efficiently while distributing 12 assists, orchestrating Portland’s offense during a fourth-quarter comeback from an 11-point deficit. With 32 seconds left and Phoenix holding a 110-109 lead, Avdija drove to the basket, finished through contact, and made the free throw for a 112-110 advantage. Phoenix missed its final shot attempt. The Blazers advanced while Phoenix dropped to a Friday elimination game against the Clippers-Warriors winner.
Background
Born in Beit Zera, a kibbutz in northern Israel, Avdija is the son of Zufer Avdija, a former Yugoslavia national team player of Gorani background born in Pristina, and Sharon Artzi, an Israeli Jewish mother. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth ranks in 2013 and led the club to three straight Israeli youth state championships from 2017 to 2019. At 19, he became Israeli League MVP in 2020 before Washington drafted him ninth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Portland acquired him in July 2024 in a trade involving Malcolm Brogdon and multiple draft picks. He earned his first All-Star selection in February 2026.
Representation Context
Israeli athletes have rarely carved out a lasting presence in major American professional sports, giving Avdija’s postseason breakthrough added resonance. He entered the playoffs averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, establishing himself not as a symbolic figure but as a central force behind Portland’s rise. In that sense, his playoff appearance carries significance beyond one season: it strengthens Israeli representation in the NBA and may help expand the horizon for future Israeli and Jewish prospects imagining a path to basketball’s highest stage.