Knowing it to merely be a matter of time before he found his footing and delivered a breakout game for the Portland Trail Blazers, Deni Avdija had quite the two-step process for making it happen on November 23, 2024. Called upon to first help slow the Houston Rockets’ offense, Avdija — positioned in the heart of Portland’s 2-3 zone — disrupts Tari Eason’s layup attempt effectively enough to prompt a miss, followed by a rebound. Taking the floor general duties for himself, Avdija leaves Jabari Smith Jr. in need of a map, unleashing a smooth behind-the-back dribble followed by an acrobatic, double-clutch finish at the rim. As evidenced by his multifaceted box score contribution, Avdija’s full command of the game allowed for 14 points (on four-of-eight shooting), 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal, four blocks, and 2 3-pointers. Such a performance allowed Avdija to collect his 3,000th-career point, and a victory at once. · Nov 24, 2024