PHOENIX (AP) Deni Avdija scored 41 points – including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left – and the Portland Trail Blazers clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the NBA’s play-in tournament on Tuesday night.
Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.
The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.
Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.
The final few minutes were white-knuckle basketball with the lead changing several times.
Jerami Grant – who returned after missing the final seven games of the regular season because of a calf injury – made a corner 3-pointer to give the Trail Blazers a 107-106 lead with 1:54 left. Devin Booker responded with a pair of free throws for a 108-107 lead but Avdija made a finger roll at the rim for a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds left.
Green led the Suns with 35 points. Booker had 22.
The Blazers led 83-82 going into the fourth despite shooting just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers in the third quarter. Phoenix pushed to its first lead of the second half when Green made a jumper on the opening possession of the fourth.
It was the start of an 11-0 run that gave the Suns a 93-83 advantage. Royce O’Neale’s steal and 3-pointer put Phoenix ahead 98-87 lead with 7:13 remaining, but that’s when the Blazers started their comeback.
The Suns led 33-31 after one quarter, but the Trail Blazers pushed to a 55-41 advantage by midway through the second. Phoenix bounced back to cut the deficit to 65-62 at the break after Green completed a four-point play – hitting a 3 while being fouled – with one second remaining.
—
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
The Undertaker
#3
|
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| D. Avdija | 41 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| J. Holiday | 21 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| S. Henderson | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| T. Camara | 8 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| D. Clingan | 2 | 11 | 4 | 2 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| J. Grant | 16 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| S. Sharpe | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| M. Thybulle | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| R. Williams III | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| K. Murray | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| V. Krejci | – | – | – | – |
| B. Wesley | – | – | – | – |
| S. Cissoko | – | – | – | – |
| Y. Hansen | – | – | – | – |
| J. Kent | – | – | – | – |
| C. Love | – | – | – | – |
| C. Youngblood | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 114 | 42 | 27 | 28 |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| J. Green | 35 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| D. Booker | 22 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| D. Brooks | 20 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| J. Goodwin | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| M. Williams | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| R. O’Neale | 7 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| C. Gillespie | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| O. Ighodaro | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| R. Dunn | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| A. Coffey | – | – | – | – |
| I. Livers | – | – | – | – |
| J. Bouyea | – | – | – | – |
| R. Fleming | – | – | – | – |
| K. Maluach | – | – | – | – |
| H. Highsmith | – | – | – | – |
| K. Brea | – | – | – | – |
| C. Huntley | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 110 | 38 | 20 | 24 |