Updates on Deni Avdija Of Portland Trail Blazers And New York Game With Next Day Status

 Nadene Goldfoot                                            

Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers is a Tel Avivian-born Israeli and my man in basketball.  Last night was the big game playing against New York.  I had heard about him about a month ago.  

He sustained a lower back injury in the final two minutes of the game against the New York Knicks last night (Sunday, January 11, 2026). He did not return to the game, which the Blazers lost 123-114. 

Injury Details

• Incident: Avdija was injured with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter when he landed awkwardly after grabbing a defensive rebound. It appeared to be a non-contact injury, and he immediately clutched his lower back and limped off the court to the locker room.
• In one corner of the locker room, the future All-Star sported a wrap around his lower back, winced at any movement and struggled to bend over and remove his socks for a postgame shower.
• Postgame Status: After the game, Avdija was in noticeable pain, required a large ice pack, and struggled to move, but he downplayed the injury's severity, stating he was "not really concerned" and a "tough guy" who would be alright.
• Coach's Comment: Trail Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter expressed concern, saying, "I don't want to sound the alarm too early, but yeah, I'm definitely worried about it".
• Upcoming Status: His status will be monitored ahead of the team's next game against the Warriors on Tuesday. 
• I had hurt my spine somehow to osteoarthritis and broke my L1,2,3,   and maybe more, don't remember.  He's got to watch that area.  It can be painful. 

Performance Summary

Before exiting the game, Avdija was the Trail Blazers' top performer, finishing with a team-high 25 points, along with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in 38 minutes of action. 

Update:  1/13/26: 6pm:  Portland Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija is dealing with lower back soreness after tweaking his back reaching for a rebound against the Knicks on Sunday (Jan 12, 2026). He was ruled out for the game against the Warriors on Tuesday (Jan 13, 2026)tonight and is considered day-to-day, with reports indicating he was in noticeable pain post-game but expressing optimism about a quick return, though the team is cautious, notes OregonLive.com and Yahoo Sports. 

Resource:

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/12/kibbutz-kid-deni-aavdija-makes-good.html