By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
With the Portland Trail Blazers securing a commanding 114-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, three Israeli players shared the floor on Monday to excite fans at the Barclays Center.
Deni Avdija, the 25-year-old veteran presence for the Blazers, led his team with 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He was flanked by fellow starter, Belgian Toumani Camara, who matched Avdija’s game-high 18 points under the guidance of coach Tiago Splitter. For the team coached by Spanish Jordi Fernandez, the spotlight fell on their Israeli duo, with 19-year-old Ben Saraf, cleared from a calf injury, posting 15 points and four steals, and Danny Wolf adding eight points and two blocks in a starting role.
The postgame atmosphere reflected the gravity of the moment. “Three Israelis at the same time on the court was something very special,” noted Saraf, who mentioned he had anticipated this game for a long time. Avdija, who joked about the difficulty of scoring on his countryman, revealed he was adding Saraf’s jersey to his personal collection. “This is a big one for me, especially since we grew up 20 minutes from each other,” Avdija said. “It’s awesome to see him score and thrive, and Danny too.”
Meanwhile, French Nets starter Nolan Traore registered four points, with fellow French countryman Sidy Cissoko being held to a scoreless showing for the Blazers. Furthermore, the Blazers sat Czech Vit Krejci with a left calf contusion, and Russian Egor Demin remained on the Nets injury report, having been ruled out for the rest of the 2025–26 season due to left plantar fascia injury.