Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers will open the 2026 playoffs on the road against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. Portland clinched the No. 7 seed and earned the right to face the Spurs after beating the Suns 114-110 in Phoenix on Tuesday.
When asked to comment on the Blazers’ underdog status against the Spurs, the first-time All-Star responded:
“People didn’t expect us beating the Suns as well. … I feel like not a lot of people, especially around the league, know our capabilities and our talent very well. I think we’re a dangerous team. I think we have the talent. … We come as underdog but we’re gonna go out there and compete. … We’re not scared of anybody.”
The Spurs were 29-4 since the start of February, the best record in the NBA during that stretch. Behind Victor Wembanyama’s MVP push, San Antonio sprinted to finish the regular season. Many are predicting the Spurs to give the defending champion OKC Thunder a run for their money. Wemby and Co. are -2000 favorites against the Blazers, who are +1000 underdogs, according to DraftKings.
Deni Avdija and the Blazers lost the season series to the Spurs 2-1, even without Wembanyama playing. In their last meeting about a week ago, the Frenchman and teammate Stephon Castle watched from the sidelines as San Antonio held on for a 112-101 win.
Avdija averaged 31.7 points, 8.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds in three meetings with the Spurs. Once the playoffs start, he will have to contend with the heavy favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year patrolling the paint. It remains to be seen if he can carry his team to an upset.
Deni Avdija and Blazers’ Offense Face Tall Task Against Victor Wembanyama-Led Spurs Defense
The Blazers shot 45.3% in the regular season, ranking 29th among 30 teams. They also had a 113.1 offensive rating, a bottom-10 team in that category.
Deni Avdija and the Blazers’ offense rely on forcing turnovers and rebounding to generate points. Portland forces 15.6 errors per game and averages 14.1 offensive rebounds per game, ranking the team No. 3 and No. 4 in those areas.
Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs are third in defensive rating (110.4) in the NBA. With the 7-foot-4 center in the middle, San Antonio also ranks No. 1 in defensive rebounding and commits just 13.5 turnovers per game, No. 4 in the league.
Portland’s scoring abilities will be severely tested against the Spurs’ stifling defense.
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