After five years! Yang Hansen did not play, Avdija scored 41+7+12, Trail Blazers narrowly defeated Suns to advance to the first round.

On April 15 Beijing time, in the NBA playoff play-in game, the Trail Blazers faced the Suns. The first quarter was very tight, with neither team able to pull away significantly. In the second quarter, the Trail Blazers surged ahead to overtake the lead, and by the end of the third quarter, they still held only a one-point advantage. Entering the decisive fourth quarter, the Suns initially built a large lead, but the Trail Blazers responded with a barrage of three-pointers to close the gap. Both sides fought fiercely until the final moments to determine the outcome. Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110 to advance to the playoffs, returning to the first round after five years. Although Yang Hansen was on the roster, he did not get playing time in this crucial game.

Statistics:

Trail Blazers: Avdija 41 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists; Clingan 2 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks; Holiday 21 points; Sharpe 12 points; Grant 16 points.

Suns: Booker 22 points; Green 35 points; Dillon 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals; Goodwin 12 points.

Game Process:

At the start of the first quarter, the Suns took initiative with an 8-2 opening, but the Trail Blazers did not falter. Kamara's three-pointer stopped the bleeding, and they kept chasing. Mid-quarter, Sebul and Holiday hit consecutive threes, narrowing the gap to just one point. Marv and Green quickly responded with scores, and thereafter the game became tight, with the Suns maintaining a lead of about five points. Late in the quarter, the Trail Blazers finally unleashed a three-point storm, with Sharpe and Grant hitting precise threes. At the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers trailed the Suns by only two points, 31-33.

Returning for the second quarter, Sharpe opened with a three-pointer to overtake the lead. Clingan dunked to get on the scoreboard, and Avdija also hit a three. The Trail Blazers fought harder, unleashing a 24-8 scoring surge to build a 14-point lead. The Suns soon stabilized, with Green scoring consecutively and Goodwin hitting a three, leading to a 7-0 run to close the gap. Avdija's three-pointer stopped the bleeding, but the Suns remained hot, delivering a 14-5 attack wave late in the quarter. At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Suns by only three points, 65-62.

In the third quarter, both teams started with low shooting efficiency. The Trail Blazers率先发难打出10-2, expanding the lead to double digits, but then他们也突然哑火, as scoring became difficult for both teams. Entering the latter part of the quarter, the Suns regained their touch: Gillespie hit a three, Booker made one of two free throws, and Dillon scored on a layup, leading to a small surge that cut the deficit to just four points. Avdija's layup finally broke the scoring drought to止血. In the final stages of the quarter, the Trail Blazers still struggled to find their rhythm and were hit by another Suns 7-2 attack wave. At the end of the third quarter, the Trail Blazers led the Suns by only one point, 83-82.

In the decisive fourth quarter, the Suns强势打出6-0开局, forcing a Trail Blazers timeout. After the timeout, the Suns' momentum was not halted; they continued to expand the lead to double digits. Holiday, Avdija, and Sharpe hit three consecutive threes, allowing the Trail Blazers to缩小分差至3分. Clingan received a flagrant foul that险些葬送好局, but fortunately Sharpe随后接连发挥. With Grant hitting a three-pointer, the Trail Blazers反超比分 in the final 1.5 minutes. Booker完成反超, Dillon made a关键抢断, but Avdija又打成关键得分. In the last 30 seconds, Goodwin delivered a 2+1 but missed the extra free throw. Avdija executed a superstar-level difficult 2+1,同时送狄龙6犯下场. On the final possession, Green's three-pointer did not connect. The Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110 to advance惊险晋级.

Starting Lineups:

Trail Blazers: Avdija, Kamara, Clingan, Holiday, Henderson.

Suns: Goodwin, Dillon, Marv, Jalen Green, Booker.