The Portland Trail Blazers cruised to a 112-90 road victory over the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Saturday night (Israel time), improving to 4-1 on the season. Now, it’s time for Sports Rabbi to break down Danny Avdija’s performance.

Avdija’s Statistics: 30:11 minutes, 24 points, 4-for-8 on two-pointers, 2-for-4 from three-point range, 10-for-13 from the free-throw line, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 3 fouls and a +32 plus-minus (the highest on the floor).

Avdija’s Grade: 9.5/10

Avdija and the Trail Blazers had their way with Utah from the opening tip. For the Israeli forward, that meant drawing foul after foul to get to the free-throw line, attacking the basket with authority and knocking down shots from beyond the arc.

With Ja Morant sidelined for at least four weeks due to injury, Avdija has clearly taken on an even greater responsibility, as has Damian Lillard, who finished with 22 points on 17 field-goal attempts. Avdija could have put up even bigger numbers had he played more minutes, but there was no need given Portland’s commanding lead. He was taken out with more than nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return.

Avdija had already scored 19 points in the first half, while his matchup with Lauri Markkanen was completely one-sided. Markkanen finished with just 13 points on 3-for-14 shooting from the field.

Following their disappointing home loss to Memphis, this was an important performance for Portland as the Trail Blazers rediscovered their dominance. Portland’s next challenge will come on the road against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Monday night (4:00 a.m. Israel time, Tuesday morning), and we can’t wait!