The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 132-119 on the road at The Mortgage Matchup Center overnight Wednesday into Thursday, improving to 6-1 on the season and moving into first place in the Western Conference standings. Now, it\u2019s time for The Sports Rabbi to break down Deni Avdija\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
Avdija\u2019s Statistics:<\/strong> 35:17 minutes, 21 points, 6-11 from two-point range, 1-5 from three-point range, 6-9 from the free-throw line, 7 rebounds, 12 assists (season high), 3 turnovers, 1 foul and a +16 plus\/minus (tied with Damian Lillard for the highest mark on the floor).<\/p>\n Avdija\u2019s Grade \u2013 9.5<\/strong> He continued to contribute across the board in the second half, adding points, rebounds and assists. By the end of the third quarter, he had already recorded his first double-double of the season that included assists and he was well on his way to a triple-double before checking out in the closing minutes.<\/p>\n It was an outstanding performance from Avdija. As mentioned, he showcased his playmaking ability, opening the game by setting up the team’s perimeter shooters before also finding teammates inside. He even delivered a terrific coast-to-coast play that he initiated himself without needing to record an assist. He also did a good job on the boards and attacked the basket with his usual power and aggressiveness.<\/p>\n His 1-5 shooting from beyond the arc was hardly a concern. What is becoming a recurring issue, however, is his inability to convert consistently at the free-throw line, as Avdija once again left several points at the charity stripe.<\/p>\n He also had one careless turnover when he placed the ball on the floor near his team’s basket for Damian Lillard to pick up on an inbound play. However, the ball touched the boundary line and Portland was forced to give possession to the opposition. As the final score shows, that mistake ultimately had little impact on the outcome.<\/p>\n Avdija is leading a team that currently sits atop the Western Conference standings and owns the second-best record in the entire NBA. Only Philadelphia, at 8-1, has a better mark, although the 76ers have played two more games.<\/p>\n Portland’s next game will be on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers overnight Friday into Saturday (5:00 a.m. Israel time) in an NBA Cup matchup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 132-119 on the road at The Mortgage Matchup Center overnight Wednesday into Thursday, improving to 6-1 on the season and moving into first place in the Western Conference standings. Now, it\u2019s time for The Sports Rabbi to break down Deni Avdija\u2019s performance. Avdija\u2019s Statistics: 35:17 minutes, 21 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":195738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4074],"tags":[37],"class_list":["post-195744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jews-in-sports","tag-deni-avdija","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nPhoenix actually got off to the better start, taking a 34-29 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Avdija was excellent from the opening tip, dishing out one assist after another. The second quarter belonged entirely to Portland, which outscored the Suns 43-25 to take a 56-46 lead into halftime. Avdija headed into the break with 13 points and 8 assists.<\/p>\n