Israeli basketball player Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers made history on Sunday, becoming the first Israeli player to record a triple double in the NBA. Avdija finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Trail Blazers’ road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who own the best record in the NBA. The 30 points match his season best, having previously scored 30 in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks in late January. Despite the strong performance from Avdija, Portland blew an 18-point lead as the Cavaliers came back to win in overtime by a final score of 133-129. Nevertheless, Avdija is putting together a strong season. With his accomplishments on Sunday, Avdija has entered an impressive list of players with 30+ points and a triple-double in a single game this season. This list that includes superstars such as Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Jimmy Butler of the Golden State Warriors (who started the season with the Miami Heat), Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers (who was recently traded to Los Angeles from the Dallas Mavericks), and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Avdija was selected ninth overall in the 2020 NBA draft by the Wizards and spent his first four NBA seasons in Washington before being traded to Portland before the start of the 2024-25 season. Last February, he recorded a new career high for an Israeli NBA player, scoring 43 points in a contest against the New Orleans Pelicans. This past December, Avdija was a finalist for Player of the Month in the Western Conference, and was considered for the honor along with names such as Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks, James, Jokic, and Wembanyama. Related articles: Israeli NBA star earns second Player of the Month nomination Israeli NBA star Deni Avdija a finalist for Player of the Month Israeli NBA star Deni Avdija won't play on Yom Kippur Israel's Deni Avdija makes list of top 100 NBA players The distinction ultimately went to Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the preseason, Avdija announced that he would not play a game scheduled for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Hebrew calendar.
