PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 13: Deni Avdija #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket during the game against the Utah Jazz on March 13, 2026 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
A miracle comeback that ended the way people wanted it to. The Brooklyn Nets rallied from a 28 point deficit to take a lead in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, they couldn’t bring it all the way home and lost in the end.
The opponent tonight will be competing in the postseason for the first time in a long time. At the very least, the Portland Trailblazers will be in the play-in tournament this spring. It will be their first postseason game of any kind since the 2021 Playoffs. They were in Philadelphia last night and lost to a shorthanded 76ers team, 109-103.
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- Michael Porter Jr
- Day’Ron Sharpe
- Noah Clowney
- Egor Demin
- Terance Mann
Ben Saraf is questionable. The three two-ways — Tyson Etienne, E.J. Liddell and Chaney Johnson – remain with the big team as does 10-day Malachi Smith.
Shaedon Sharpe and Damian Lillard are out. Night two of a back-to-back so we’ll see who else sits for Portland. Hansen Yang remains with the Remix, the Blazers G League club.
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Amazingly, this is the first meeting between the two teams this season.
This is the second night of a back-to-back and game two of a six game road trip for the Blazers.
Former Nets assistant coach Tiago Splitter is coaching the Blazers these days. And it feels like a lifetime ago, but Splitter got the job because the feds got Chauncey Billups in a sweep. If he can get them into the playoffs, there’s a chance he’ll be there permanently.
So where’s the scoring going to come from for the Nets? With no MPJ and Clowney out, perhaps Nolan Traore will be the guy? The Nets could use all the punch that they can get and Traore can stand to up the aggressiveness when he’s on the court. He’ll likely have Jrue Holiday assigned to him, so it will serve as a great learning lesson either way.
Without Day’ron Sharpe, the Nets are even more compromised on the glass. This is especially painful against a Blazers team that is top ten in the league in rebounding this season. Donovan Clingan is third in the NBA in rebounds at close to 12 per game, and Nic Claxton is going to have his hands full battling him and perhaps Robert Williams III on the inside tonight.
As for the NBA lottery, the Nets are back in third going into tonight’s game by percentage points over the Kings. They’re two and a half games back of the Pacers who remain in the top spot, and two and a half ahead of the Utah Jazz. The Nets have 15 games left and considering they were 2-13 in their last 15, it’s getting harder to imagine the Nets winning enough games to fall back to fifth prior to the May 10 Draft Lottery.
👀 Player to watch: Deni Avdija
Slow and steady wins the race. Avdija got better each season he’s been in the league, and it paid off with the first All-Star appearance of his career this season. He’s averaging career highs across the board and is taking on new roles. Over at Blazers Edge, Dave Deckard took a look at where Portland could get the most out of Deni:
I’m calling this right now. As long as he’s on the team, Deni Avdija needs to be the point guard. Things go better for him and his teammates when he runs the show. He’s the spiritual captain of the squad already, also its leading scorer right now. Taking the reins is a natural step. His vision and passing just keep getting better. Frankly, the team plays differently when Deni has the ball up top than they do with anybody else, even Jrue Holiday. The Blazers get better looks too.
I know Portland has approximately 56 true point guards right now. I’m not trying to insinuate what will, or should, happen with any of them. But I am saying that this is almost certainly Deni’s best destiny. The way the team is built now, that also makes it the Blazers’ best destiny.
Deni at point. Book it.
That’s the good thing about being a team that’s on the rise. You have room to explore, try stuff out, and see what works. And if you land on something, you can take it with you into an exciting future. Win-win!
Danny Wolf has gotten the start in each of the last two games and figures to do so as long as Porter Jr is out. He’s been filling up the box score in recent games and similar to Traore, will have all the opportunity in the world to figure things out and do more with an increased role.
The last time the Blazers were in the playoffs, this happened
