Deni Avdija made history with a breathtaking performance, becoming the first Israeli player ever to record a triple-double in the NBA.
The Portland Trail Blazers forward dazzled with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in 42 minutes, but his team suffered a heartbreaking 133-129 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Eastern Conference leader.
“It’s hard for me to think about the triple-double right now because I wanted to win,” Avdija told reporters at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “I wanted that three to go in and wanted us to win, especially versus the first seed in the East.”
Avdija’s participation in the game had been uncertain due to a quadriceps injury, but he took the court and delivered a masterful performance. He started strong, guiding Portland to an 18-point lead at its peak, with an especially dominant third quarter.
Despite his heroics, the Cavaliers mounted a late comeback, erasing the deficit and forcing overtime. In the final moments, Avdija had a chance to cap his historic night with a game-winning three-pointer, but the shot missed, sealing Portland’s defeat.
First career triple-double for Deni ✨▫️ 30 PTS ▫️ 12 REB ▫️ 10 AST pic.twitter.com/kQYarWWZjd
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 2, 2025
“It felt good,” Avdija said of the shot. “It was a little bit too strong.”
Beyond the milestone triple-double, Avdija matched his season-high in points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field, 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line, setting a new personal best for free throws made in a single game.
However, he also recorded five turnovers. The loss dropped the Blazers to 27-34, snapping their four-game winning streak, while Cleveland extended its unbeaten run to 10 games.
Avdija became just the eighth player this season to record a 30+ point triple-double, joining the elite company of Nikola Jokić, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Luka Dončić, and Victor Wembanyama.
The 24-year-old’s dominance was evident throughout the game—he scored 14 points in the third quarter alone and orchestrated Portland’s offense with skill and vision.
“Deni was great the whole time,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “We needed every single one of [his points].”
The Blazers seemed poised for victory, but Cleveland, missing star guard Donovan Mitchell, staged a furious rally. Despite Avdija’s late-game efforts, including a crucial assist and key defensive plays, fatigue set in during overtime. He missed a layup with Portland trailing by five, then lost possession with an errant full-court pass.
After a back-and-forth final minute, he had one last chance for redemption, but his potential game-winning three-pointer fell short.
Anfernee Simons contributed 27 points for Portland, though he struggled with efficiency (8-of-23 shooting). Toumani Camara added 19 points and four steals, while Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson chipped in 18 and 15 points, respectively.
On the other side, De’Andre Hunter led Cleveland with 32 points, Ty Jerome had 25 points, six assists, and six steals, and Evan Mobley posted 20 points before fouling out.
One of NBA's rising stars
Despite the bitter loss, Avdija’s performance marked a historic milestone for Israeli basketball and solidified his status as one of the league’s rising stars.
“Maybe tomorrow it’ll make me smile a little bit,” Avdija admitted. “But I worked hard. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates making some tough shots.”
He will have a chance to bounce back when the Blazers face the Philadelphia 76ers in their next matchup.