{"id":597958,"date":"2026-02-12T02:22:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T02:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/597958\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T02:22:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T02:22:25","slug":"jaden-mcdaniels-posterizes-deni-avdija-with-fastbreak-dunk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/597958\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaden McDaniels posterizes Deni Avdija with fastbreak dunk"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Jaden McDaniels<\/a> gets a head of steam on the open floor, you usually want to just get out of the way<\/a>. Deni Avdija<\/a> learned that the hard way on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

During the first quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>\u2019 matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> at Target Center, the \u201cSlim Reaper\u201d provided a legitimate candidate for dunk of the year. The play started with Donte DiVincenzo, who has been a defensive pest all season, snagging a steal at the half-court line.<\/p>\n

Jaden McDaniels throws it down with AUTHORITY \ud83d\ude24<\/p>\n

pic.twitter.com\/jyuXf79mrQ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

DiVincenzo didn’t hesitate, immediately looking up to find a streaking McDaniels. He lobbed a perfect pass toward the rim, and McDaniels did the rest, soaring through the air to posterize a defenseless Avdija with a thunderous alley-oop finish. The home crowd in Minneapolis absolutely lost it as the Timberwolves\u2019 defensive ace showed off his elite verticality.<\/p>\n

The game is still in the early stages, but McDaniels\u2019 highlight has already set the tone for a high-energy Western Conference clash. Minnesota is looking to protect its home court, where they have been solid with an 18-10 record this season.<\/p>\n

Anthony Edwards has already made his presence felt early, knocking down a 28-foot triple off another DiVincenzo assist to keep the momentum squarely with the Wolves.<\/p>\n

On the other side, Avdija is trying to shake off<\/a> the highlight and keep the Trail Blazers in the hunt as they look to extend their three-game winning streak. Portland has leaned heavily on rookie Donovan Clingan recently, and they\u2019ll need his interior presence to counter Rudy Gobert<\/a> if they want to escape Minneapolis with a win.<\/p>\n

With the Timberwolves leading 61-51 going into the half, this one is shaping up to be a tight contest. Minnesota\u2019s defense has been the story so far, but with plenty of basketball left to play, the Blazers are hanging around.<\/p>\n