The Portland Trail Blazers faced off against the Brooklyn Nets, where Deni Avdija had the chance to play a fellow countryman.

Deni Avdija is likely to continue his return from injury after playing in the Trail Blazers' recent game against the Indiana Pacers.

Deni Avdija reacted to facing off with Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf during Monday's Nets-Trail Blazers matchup.

(JTA) — BROOKLYN — The Barclays Center had the energy of a bar mitzvah party on Monday night, as kippah-clad basketball fans and kids waving posters with Hebrew words of encouragement came to cheer on an NBA first: a game featuring three Jewish players — all Israeli citizens.

After watching Deni Avdija turbocharge his way around Moda Center for 25 pain-free minutes, Portland Trail Blazers acting coach Tiago Splitter noticed something different about his All-Star forward. He looked a lot like the old Deni Avdija.

Thousands of Israeli and Jewish fans packed the arena in Brooklyn, turning it into a sea of blue and white, as three Israelis shared the same NBA court for the very first time.

A hypothetical leap to join Nikola Jokic and the Serbian national team remains nothing more than a nostalgic what-if for 25-year-old Deni Avdija

Check out our Trail Blazers vs. Nets betting preview featuring traditional odds alongside live Kalshi prediction markets, plus projected stats for Deni Avdija and Nic Claxton.