“I’ve been on the beach a little bit, relaxed my mind and got ready to kill the second half of the season,” Avdija said following Wednesday’s practice. “I feel like it’s important. We have a chance to make the play-in, and we’re all in it. We’re preparing. We’re doing the best we can, and can’t wait to go back on the court.”

With many all-time greats coming through Portland, take a look at who is in the top five for all-time playoff games played in franchise history.

Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers is quickly emerging as a player who could be making his first All-Star appearance in the near future. Since entering the NBA in 2018, Simons has steadily developed into one of the league’s brightest young stars.

The Portland Trail Blazers will come out of the All-Star break Thursday night with a home matchup against the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. The matchup will mark Portland’s first game in eight days, and it’ll give the Blazers an early look at the Lakers’ new superstar duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic.