Deni Avdija recorded the third triple-double of his NBA career and his first of the season overnight Wednesday into Thursday, nearly carrying Portland back from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit in a dramatic home game against Chicago.
The Bulls escaped with a 122–121 win on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Nikola Vucevic.
Avdija finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in an outstanding performance. He shot 11 of 22 from the field, 3 of 7 from beyond the arc and 7 of 12 from the line. He added two steals, one block and three turnovers in 37 minutes.
The Trail Blazers continue to struggle with injuries and a thin bench, dropping their fourth straight game and their sixth in seven. Jeremy Grant, questionable due to illness, ended up playing, but sharpshooter Shaedon Sharpe was unavailable, as were Robert Williams and Jrue Holiday. Long-term absences include Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle and Blake Wesley. As a result, reserve guards Jevonte Cook and Caleb Love were forced into significant minutes and struggled badly. Love scored only five points on 1-of-12 shooting.
Led by Avdija and Grant, Portland’s top players kept the game close through the first half, but Chicago’s deeper rotation took control in the third quarter and built a 16-point lead entering the fourth, 98–82. With Holiday out and Love ineffective, Avdija became the team’s primary playmaker and racked up assists quickly, reaching a career-high 11. Still, the Blazers shot poorly overall and could not keep up with Chicago from long range.
Grant paced Portland with 33 points. Donovan Clingan added 17 points and an impressive 21 rebounds, but the Blazers shot just 12 of 42 from three-point range compared with the Bulls’ 21 of 49. Vucevic scored 28 points for Chicago, and Coby White added 25 off the bench.
