Deni Avdija Ignores NBA Standings, Overlooks Blazers’ Playoff Potential

Deni Avdija plans to follow his normal routine on Wednesday. He will practice at the Portland Trail Blazers facility and visit a local Boys & Girls Club with teammates. He says he does not check the standings.

Late collapse in Portland

The Blazers lost 103-101 to the Charlotte Hornets at the Moda Center on Tuesday night. Portland held a 19-point advantage early but surrendered the lead in the fourth quarter. LaMelo Ball scored 12 fourth-quarter points and hit late, clutch shots.

Toumani Camara drained a three to put Portland ahead 98-97 with 2:12 remaining. The final 2:51 featured missed alley-oops, a missed layup and three turnovers. Two turnovers in the closing seconds proved decisive.

Critical sequence

With 12.8 seconds left, Avdija drove and drew a triple-team. He passed to Jerami Grant, who pump-faked, collided with Kon Knueppel and was assessed an offensive foul. Miles Bridges hit two free throws to make it 101-98 with 9.0 seconds left.

Acting coach Tiago Splitter called timeout and set up a sideline inbound for Camara. Avdija and Grant were primary options. A final attempt ended with Avdija falling to the floor and the ball out of bounds.

Individual performances and numbers

Jerami Grant finished with 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Avdija recorded 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Scoot Henderson added 17 points off the bench.

Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Hornets improved to 33-33. The Blazers dropped to 31-35 and sit 10th in the Western Conference.

Context and playoff picture

Portland trails the ninth-place Golden State Warriors (32-33) by 1.5 games. The Los Angeles Clippers sit ahead as well at 32-32. The Blazers have 16 games remaining and must climb to secure an easier play-in path.

Portland has not won back-to-back games since February 9. The team has managed only two wins over teams with winning records since January 23. After the All-Star break, optimism grew because of an easy closing schedule and improving health on the roster.

Still, the Blazers have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games. Toumani Camara had said the team felt no limits after the break. The recent stretch has undercut that momentum.

Avdija’s approach

Deni Avdija often ignores the NBA standings and has downplayed the Blazers’ playoff potential publicly. He says he will not do standings math or worry about seeding. Instead, he stresses belief in the roster and focusing on the next challenge.

Reporting for Filmogaz.com.