The Portland Trail Blazers secured their return to the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, five years later, after defeating the Phoenix Suns 114–110 on the road in the play-in tournament.
Eighth in the Western Conference regular season, the Blazers entered as underdogs against the seventh-seeded Suns, who had home-court advantage. However, Portland clinched a playoff spot and will now face the San Antonio Spurs, the conference’s second seed, as they look to win a playoff series for the first time since 2019.
Israeli player Deni Avdija led the Blazers to victory with 41 points, along with 12 assists and seven rebounds, becoming the first player to record at least 40 points and 10 assists in a play-in game.
Jrue Holiday was also key for Portland, while the Suns’ efforts—35 points from Jalen Green and 22 from Devin Booker—were not enough.
Read more: NBA: Neemias Queta scores 12 points in 4th straight Celtics win (with video)
Phoenix still has one last chance to reach the playoffs after missing out last season, as they will face the winner of the matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers.
In the Eastern Conference, the Charlotte Hornets remain alive in the playoff race after edging the Miami Heat 127–126 in overtime, in a game decided in the final moments.
LaMelo Ball (30 points and 10 assists) and Miles Bridges (28 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks) led the Hornets, while three Heat players scored over 20 points: Davion Mitchell (28), Andrew Wiggins (27), and Tyler Herro (23).
While the Heat’s season is over, the Hornets still have one final chance to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015/16. They will face the loser of the matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers, with the winner set to play the Boston Celtics, who include Portuguese player Neemias Queta.
