{"id":189588,"date":"2026-04-15T10:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=189588"},"modified":"2026-04-15T04:46:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T08:46:50","slug":"the-blazers-postseason-return-ending-the-five-year-drought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/04\/15\/the-blazers-postseason-return-ending-the-five-year-drought\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blazers\u2019 Postseason Return: Ending The Five-Year Drought"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Portland Trail Blazers’ postseason dreams have come true. After five years, they are finally back on the back of Deni Avdija<\/a>‘s performance. They have done this under the impressive acting head coach, Tiago Splitter’s system.<\/p>\n

The Blazers\u2019 Postseason Return: Ending The Five-Year Drought<\/h2>\n

After five seasons away from the playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers are back. It has been a long time coming for a team that was quite consistent in the past. Now, they are back after beating the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament.<\/p>\n

It was a superb matchup with Avdija’s performance being the standout. He had a phenomenal 42 points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists. This was proof that the first-time All-Star can hang<\/a> even in postseason basketball. Now, they will be playing against the San Antonio Spurs, which will be a tough matchup.<\/p>\n

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Avdija’s Performance Deserves The Spotlight<\/h3>\n

While the Blazers played a great game overall, it was Avdija who deserves the spotlight. Scoring 40+ points in his postseason debut proves that he belongs as a go-to guy for Portland. Of course, this was a one-off game, but he can prove that further against the Spurs.<\/p>\n

As the Blazers prepare for the series against the San Antonio Spurs, Avdija will be the main man once again. Of course, the Blazers have more players who will have big roles in the playoffs, most notably Jrue Holiday<\/a>. The veteran guard is a two-time champion, which is key for a young team<\/a>. It will be a challenging matchup for the Blazers because the Spurs have elite depth.<\/p>\n

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DENI AVDIJA MAN… AND THIS IS 40 PTS FOR HIM pic.twitter.com\/t0krtdPMP4<\/a><\/p>\n

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n