Blazers’ Deni Avdija on Spurs: ‘It’s gonna be a fight’ after play-in win

The Trail Blazers are moving on, and Deni Avdija knows what’s waiting.

That would be a first-round matchup with the Spurs. 

“They’re a great team, very talented,” Avdija told Amazon Prime. “They’re young too so they don’t have a lot of playoff experience as well. It’s gonna be a fight. We’re gonna bring everything we got.”

Fair enough. The Blazers earned it.

Avdija was sensational, dropping 41 points to go with 12 assists, lifting Portland to a 114-110 comeback win over the Suns in Tuesday’s play-in game. But it wasn’t easy. Not even close.

Portland trailed by 11 in the fourth before storming back. The final minutes turned into a scramble, with the lead changing hands and both sides trading big shots.

After Jordan Goodwin gave Phoenix a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, Avdija answered. He attacked the rim, absorbed contact, finished, and converted the free throw for a 112-110 edge with 16.1 seconds to go.

Phoenix had its chances. Jalen Green missed a three that could’ve flipped it. Goodwin grabbed the rebound, but Matisse Thybulle stripped him clean, effectively sealing it.

Portland is now the No. 7 seed in the West and gets San Antonio in Round One. The Suns will try to regroup and host the winner of Clippers-Warriors for the final playoff spot, with the reigning champion Thunder waiting on the other side.

As for the Blazers, they’re not easing into anything. As Avdija said, it’s going to be a fight.