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Blazers ride Avdija's 41 over Suns, grab 7th seed
TL;DR
Deni Avdija scored 41 points, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA play-in tournament. This win secured the Blazers the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, where they will face the San Antonio Spurs.
PHOENIX -- 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 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 that matchup will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser's season is over.
Q&A
How did Deni Avdija perform in the game against the Suns?
Deni Avdija scored 41 points, including a crucial go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds remaining.
What are the playoff implications for the Blazers and Suns after this game?
The Blazers secured the No. 7 seed and will face the San Antonio Spurs, while the Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game for the No. 8 seed.