Deni Avdija had a career night that unfortunately went to waste in the Portland Trail Blazers’ matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.
Avdija is going through the sixth season of his NBA career, his second with the Trail Blazers. Since coming over from Washington, he has bloomed into a star as he’s currently the top scoring option for the team.
His performance against the league-best Thunder squad was another example of that. In 37 minutes of action, Avdija finished with a stat line of 31 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, and a steal. He shot 6-of-14 from the field, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 19-of-23 from the free-throw line.
Avdija made history with that stat line, per ESPN Insights. He became the second player to ever score 30 or more points in his first four triple-doubles.
“Deni Avdija tonight became the second player in NBA history to score 30+ PTS in each of his first four career triple-doubles,” the post read.
Deni Avdija tonight became the second player in NBA history to score 30+ PTS in each of his first four career triple-doubles.
31 PTS
19 REB
10 AST pic.twitter.com/dllErbbfZN
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) December 1, 2025
How Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers played against Thunder
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Despite Deni Avdija’s historic efforts, it wasn’t enough as the Trail Blazers fell short in a 123-115 loss to the Thunder.
Portland competed with Oklahoma City throughout the course of the game. The hosts trailed by five before taking a one-point lead at halftime. However, the visitors fired back by pulling off big plays in the clutch and outscoring Portland 38-28 in the fourth quarter.
Ball movement and inside scoring made the difference in this matchup. The Thunder prevailed in both categories by creating 27 assists and scoring 56 points inside the paint. It wasn’t the same for the Trail Blazers as they dished out 22 assists and produced 36 points inside the paint.
Five players scored in double-digits for Portland in the loss, including Avdija. Toumani Camara delivered a solid performance of 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He shot 5-of-12 overall, including 5-of-10 from downtown, and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Jerami Grant came next with 18 points and three blocks, Kris Murray had 13 points and six rebounds, while Caleb Love provided 12 points and two steals.
Portland fell to an 8-12 record on the season, holding the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings. They are 1.5 games above the Utah Jazz and 2.5 games above the Dallas Mavericks while being even with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Trail Blazers will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
