The Portland Trail Blazers demanded a hero and Deni Avdija had no problem donning the cape.

Down by a point to the Sacramento Kings after a jumper by DeMar DeRozan with 4.4 seconds left in overtime and no timeouts left, Avdija raced down the floor with a full head of steam. Trapped by Russell Westbrook and Keon Ellis, he was forced to rush a runner before the buzzer. The shot came up short, but his aggression paid off as he was fouled by Westbrook on his shot attempt

Avdija stepped to the free-throw line with 1.5 seconds remaining and calmly knocked down the game-winning free throws to lift Portland past Sacramento, 134-133. The 24-year-old forward finished with a superb performance–35 points on 12-of-19 shooting, five rebounds, five assists, and a steal. 

This was his eighth 30-point game of the season and has now scored at least 20 points in 22 of his 27 appearances so far. He is clearly growing more and more comfortable carrying the responsibility of leading this Blazers team.

Portland has now won its last two games, including that hard-fought victory over the Kings, though there is still much work that needs to be done. They are five games below .500 with an 11–16 record which is good for 10th place in the West. 

If the Blazers can build on this momentum and eke out a few more wins over these next few weeks, then Avdija might just earn his first NBA All-Star game nod. The 6-foot-8 forward is doing everything for Portland as he has taken a major leap and his numbers prove it. He is averaging 25.5 points per game—by far a career high—and also 7.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists. 

Avdija has grown significantly since he was selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2020 NBA Draft. He was underutilized in Washington–no surprise there–which ultimately led them to trade him to Portland in the 2024 offseason. The Blazers put the ball in his hands and he has responded by blossoming into a potential cornerstone for this franchise.

There is now a quiet confidence to the way he plays. Performances like the one against Sacramento are no longer anomalies. They are happening with increasing regularity and he has become a player that Portland can lean on—especially in crucial moments.

Regardless of whether or not is actually named an All-Star, Avdija is already playing like one. The accolades will eventually follow if he can keep this up, especially once this team is finally complete when Damian Lillard returns next year. For now, the future in Portland remains promising—so long as they can exercise patience and this young core is allowed to grow.