April 20, 2026
A historic evening for Deni Avdija in the NBA playoffs
תמונה: gemini
Deni Avdija opened his first NBA playoff tonight with an excellent game.
This is the first time an Israeli player has played in the playoffs.
He scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and delivered 5 assists.
He played 39 minutes and was Portland's standout player.
Despite his impressive game, the team lost to San Antonio 111–98 and is now down 1–0 in the series.
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Avdija scored more points in his first playoff game than legendary players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Kobe Bryant. He joined a very small group of players who finished their first playoff game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, alongside LeBron James and Julius Erving.
In the United States, he received a lot of praise. In 'Portland Edge,' they wrote that it was a great debut performance, but that he can't win alone. In 'The Athletic,' they also wrote that Avdija was the engine of Portland and that he deserved applause.
After the game, Avdija said he was happy that people were excited for him, but he emphasized that he doesn't focus on personal stats, only on the team's victory.