On Wednesday night, the Portland Trail Blazers were down by 22 points in the first quarter to the undefeated, reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder – a team that had beaten them 16 straight times.
But on a wild night at the Moda Center, Deni Avdija and the Blazers refused to fold. The Israeli forward, who couldn’t buy a basket early on, turned his slow start into one of the most resilient performances of his career, leading Portland to a stunning 121-119 victory that handed Oklahoma City its first loss of the season.
Avdija finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists – just one assist shy of a triple-double – while also setting new career highs in free throws made and attempted, going 15-for-16 from the line. He shot just 5-for-17 from the field, but made the shots that mattered most down the stretch, including a key three-pointer in the final minutes that capped his 11-point fourth quarter.
“Teams know they can’t just come here and play with us,” Avdija said. “We’re tough, aggressive, talented and young – and we’re getting better every game. There’s something special about this team, and I think the future looks great in Portland.”
The night didn’t start that way. Avdija missed his first 11 shots, as the Thunder raced out to a 38-16 lead. Portland’s interim coach Tiago Splitter called an early timeout, but even that didn’t stop Oklahoma City from extending its advantage to 22 points in the second quarter. Still, the Blazers slowly clawed their way back, trimming the deficit to just one point by halftime.
From there, the crowd of 16,822 watched Portland chip away possession by possession. Jrue Holiday’s jumper with 6:44 left gave the Blazers their first lead at 97-96, and when Avdija drilled a three-pointer two minutes later, the Blazers were suddenly up nine.
The Thunder made one last push, but Avdija and company held firm – even surviving a dramatic final sequence when Isaiah Joe was fouled with 0.6 seconds left but awarded only two free throws because his foot was on the three-point line. Joe made one, missed the second on purpose, and Portland secured the rebound to seal the win.
Holiday scored 22 points, Jerami Grant added 20 off the bench, and Shaedon Sharpe chipped in 18 for the Blazers, who improved to 5–3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 35 points, while Aaron Wiggins added 27.
After the game, Avdija’s teammates and coach had nothing but praise.
“Deni always pushes us – tonight he led us in every way,” said Holiday. “Even when he wasn’t hitting shots early, he kept everyone involved. He played for others tonight, and you could feel it.”
Splitter echoed the sentiment.
“Sometimes you miss a lot, and I tell the guys, just stay aggressive, keep going – it will come. Deni did that. He stayed locked in and made the difference.”
Former NBA All-Star John Wall, watching from afar, also chimed in with admiration.
“I love Deni Avdija,” Wall said. “I loved him even back when he was in Washington. Portland looks like one of the surprises of the season – they’ve got chemistry, and guys like Deni, Holiday, and Sharpe are figuring out how to win.”
The victory was Portland’s fourth in its last five games (5-3 record overall) and another statement in what’s becoming a breakout year for Avdija, who is averaging 24 points, six rebounds, and nearly four assists per game. His steady rise has already sparked conversation around the league – and back home in Israel – about what his next NBA contract could look like.
Avdija, 24, is currently in the first year of a four-year, $55 million deal he signed in 2023 while still with Washington, before his breakout season. He’s earning about $14.3 million this season, with that number dropping to $11.8 million by 2027/28 – making his deal one of the most team-friendly in the league given his current production.
Avdija's next contract likely to be huge
According to Yossi Gozlan, a leading NBA salary-cap expert, Avdija’s next deal will be of a completely different scale.
“I estimate that he’ll get something in the range of Mikal Bridges’ contract with the New York Knicks – around $150 million over four years,” Gozlan told Israeli media. “The Blazers will almost certainly want to lock him up in the summer of 2027.”
Under NBA rules, Portland could use available cap space in 2027 to boost Avdija’s final contract year and make him eligible for an even larger extension – similar to how Utah handled Lauri Markkanen’s deal last year. The alternative would be to wait until 2028, when Avdija could become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign anywhere for potentially even more.
For now, though, Avdija isn’t thinking about contracts or cap mechanics. He’s focused on building something lasting in Portland – and wins like this one only reinforce that belief.
“This group has heart,” he said, smiling as he left the court. “We believe in each other. We’re just getting started.”