Portland Trail Blazers beat Phoenix Suns 114 to 110 on Tuesday night and guaranteed their qualification for the NBA playoffs. The match, valid for the play-in tournament, took place at Mortgage Matchup Center, at Phoenix. With the result, the Oregon franchise ends a fast that had lasted since 2021, consolidating a campaign of 42 wins and 40 losses in the regular season.
The victory marked a historic moment for South American basketball. Tiago Splitter became the first Brazilian and Latin American coach to take a team to the North American Basketball League playoffs. The former player, who already had a championship ring as an athlete, now inscribes his name in the history of the competition from a new technical perspective.
DUBS IN THE CHATpic.twitter.com/jLILKxXKMv
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers)April 15, 2026
Deni Avdija leads the recovery and guarantees victory in the final seconds
The clash was decided by high-level individual performances, with absolute emphasis on Deni Avdija. The player from Blazers scored 41 points, finishing as the scorer of the night. Sua participation was vital in the last minute, when he converted a three-point play that sealed the score in favor of the visitors. Pelo side of Phoenix Suns, Jalen Green kept the team alive throughout the game, recording 35 points, but were unable to avoid defeat in front of their home fans.
- Final score: Portland Trail Blazers 114 x 110 Phoenix Suns
- Basket from Portland: Deni Avdija (41 points)
- Basket from Phoenix: Jalen Green (35 points)
- Fact location: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona
- Portland final campaign: 42-40
- Next opponent: San Antonio Spurs
Turnarounds marked the pace of the match at Arizona
The dynamics of the game showed significant fluctuations for both sides since the initial jump. Phoenix Suns started the dispute better, taking advantage of the offensive efficiency to close the first quarter in the lead. However, Portland started a consistent reaction in the second period. With a 12-2 run, Tiago Splitter’s team managed to reverse the situation and opened a double-digit lead. The home team suffered from poor long-distance shooting, but managed to reduce the difference to just three points before the break.
Back in the second half, Blazers maintained the pressure, but Phoenix Suns demonstrated resilience. In the fourth quarter, the hosts went on an 11-0 run, turning the score around and opening up an 11-point lead. The scenario seemed unfavorable for Portland until the final five minutes, when the defense stepped up and allowed Avdija to command the offensive resumption. The balance persisted until the last possession of the ball, when Phoenix’s execution errors cost the chance for overtime or a comeback.
Challenges in the first round and future of Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers’s classification defines a duel full of symbolism for Tiago Splitter. In the first round of the Conferência Oeste playoffs, the team will face San Antonio Spurs. Splitter is an idol in the Texan franchise, where he won the NBA title in 2014 as a player. Agora, he returns to the Spurs gym in a different strategic position, trying to overcome the organization where he built much of his legacy in the Estados Unidos. The confrontation promises to attract attention due to the coach’s history with his opponent.
For Phoenix Suns, the defeat does not immediately end their chances of competing for the title, but it puts the team in a situation of extreme pressure. The franchise will have one last opportunity to advance next Friday. The elimination game against the winner of the other play-in bracket will decide who gets the last spot for the postseason. The coach and the squad of Suns need to adjust the offensive use of the perimeter, which was the main weak point identified in this Tuesday’s match, to avoid an early elimination in front of their fans.
