Getting to the free-throw line one last time, it’s fitting that the final play of the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 123-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers was Deni Avdija converting an and-one bucket.

With a foul called on every possession in the third quarter, a defensive-first slugfest slowed down even further. The game was extended by a good 20 minutes because of a whistle-happy crew — like being stuck behind two semi-trucks on a two-lane highway.

As the Portland crowd booed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for his 26 points on 10-of-12 free throws, they cheered on Avdija for his 31 points on 19-of-23 free throws. The breakout candidate has received an All-Star whistle.

Avdija scored 31 points on six made shots. None were from the outside. He didn’t dominate on the floor. Instead, he dominated at the free-throw line. That’s been a theme this season for him in Portland’s three matchups against OKC.

In their first matchup, Avdija had 26 points on 5-of-17 shooting, 15-of-16 on free throws. In their second matchup, he had 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting, 2-of-3 on free throws. Adding that up, he’s had 68 points on 36 made free throws.

Gross. Just an unwatchable style of basketball. Say what you want about Gilgeous-Alexander, but at least he also does it on the court. He found his mid-range spots in clutch time to put away the Trail Blazers.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about Avdija’s busy night at the free-throw line. He said that’s a variable they have to control better. He didn’t go after the NBA referees. He seldom does anyway.

“Avdija tonight shot 23 free throws. Anytime that happens to us, we’re going to look in the mirror first. That’s the reality,” Daigneault said. “We could’ve done a lot better on him in terms of executing our plan and putting him more in a crowd. He was on an island all night — especially in the first half. You got three officials staring at him when that’s the case.”

The Thunder own the NBA’s best defense. Their philosophy is to play physical for the full 48 minutes. That helps them win the possession battle with high turnover rates. It also makes NBA superstars uncomfortable with the ball in their hands. The tradeoff is racking up a lot of fouls and free throws.

That’s why you see Avdija’s free-throw numbers so high. That said, the Thunder must learn to control his drives to the basket. You can’t give him freebies. The Thunder will face the Trail Blazers one more time on New Year’s Eve in OKC.

But considering the Trail Blazers have been a surprise squad with Avdija’s ascension to a 25-point scorer, maybe these two teams can meet up again in the 2026 NBA playoffs as a Round 1 matchup.