When Deni Avdija is healthy and on the floor, the Portland Trail Blazers look like a completely different team - and Monday night was the latest reminder.
After missing four games with a back injury, the All-Star forward returned to the lineup and immediately made his presence felt, leading the Blazers to a 135-118 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Moda Center. It was Portland’s third straight victory, and arguably their most complete performance in weeks.
“He’s an All-Star for a reason,” forward Toumani Camara said after the game - and that reason was on full display. Avdija didn’t just ease back into action; he orchestrated the offense like a seasoned conductor, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. He set the tone early, either scoring or assisting on the team’s first 11 points, and his ability to control the pace, collapse the defense, and find open shooters gave the Blazers the rhythm they’ve been missing.
With Avdija back at the controls, everything else fell into place. Camara erupted for a career-high 30 points, including a blistering 8-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
Scoot Henderson was back in his comfort zone pushing the pace, adding 12 points and seven assists. Veterans Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday spaced the floor and moved the ball, with Holiday also dishing out seven assists.
Even Portland’s bigs got in on the action - Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III combined for five made threes, stretching the floor and keeping Philly’s defense guessing.
The numbers told the story: 22 made threes on 54 attempts, nearly 50% shooting from the field, and 36 assists as a team. But the eye test was just as convincing.
The ball was flying around, the offense was flowing, and players were making the extra pass. This wasn’t just a good shooting night - it was the kind of cohesive, unselfish basketball that coaches dream about.
And it was a dramatic contrast from the version of the Blazers we saw during their recent six-game skid, when Avdija was either sidelined or clearly limited by his back. That stretch was disjointed and sluggish.
Monday night? It looked like the team Portland envisioned when they broke camp back in the fall.
“We had a fast team on the court,” assistant coach Tiago Splitter said. “With Deni, Jrue kicking out, Scoot - the speed just helps us get to our spots.
They had to shrink [the defense], and of course, we made shots. But Deni just brings that energy.
Once he gets the ball, he hits the ‘turbo.’ If [the defense] doesn’t collapse, it’s a layup or an open three.”
That speed and spacing were on full display in a third quarter that blew the game wide open. Avdija poured in 12 points in the period - including 10 in the first three minutes - and Camara kept the fireworks going with three more triples.
The Blazers exploded for 49 points in the quarter, their highest-scoring frame of the season, and built a lead that ballooned to 31 points. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Portland had already hit 20 of their 22 threes.
“It was good to see that aggressiveness - getting into the paint, spraying the ball out, staying connected,” Splitter said. “I think it was one of the best games we’ve had just sharing the ball and looking for shots.”
Camara echoed that sentiment, pointing to the team’s energy and focus coming out of halftime. “Even though Philly came out a little flat, I feel like that’s the energy and intensity we need to approach every game with from the jump,” he said. “When we do that, we’re a really hard team to beat - especially with all these players available.”
That’s been the story of the Blazers’ season so far: flashes of brilliance, interrupted by injuries and inconsistency. They’ve rarely had their full roster available, and it’s shown in the standings. But with Avdija back and key pieces rounding into form - minus Shaedon Sharpe, who sat out with calf soreness - there’s a sense that this team might finally be turning the corner.
Avdija himself admitted he felt a world of difference physically compared to his previous appearances. “The difference between the New York and Washington games to now - I can’t even explain how much looser I move,” he said.
“Credit to the medical staff for helping me save myself from myself. It was a necessary break, and now I’m good.
My back is good, and I can keep going forward.”
Splitter was impressed not just by the numbers, but by the mindset. “I didn’t expect him to be this aggressive after being out for a while,” he said. “I was just happy with the shape he came back in and the mentality to attack the rim again.”
Now sitting at 26-28, the Blazers have two more games before the All-Star break - and a real shot to hit the halfway mark at .500. That’s no small feat given the rollercoaster of a season they’ve had. But if Monday’s performance is any indication, this team is starting to look like the one they hoped to be all along.
“We’re very dangerous,” Avdija said. “That’s what we saw at the beginning of the year - how talented we are, how together we play, how everybody’s giving 100%.
That’s what winning teams do. And I think there’s the capability for a very, very good team here.”
If they can stay healthy, the rest of the Western Conference may want to take notice. The Blazers are coming - and with Avdija leading the charge, they’re not sneaking up on anyone.