During the press conference after Washington's 117-113 victory over Milwaukee which was undoubtedly the NBA's surprise of the night on Wednesday, one of the journalists told Israeli NBA star Deni Avdija that his games attract a large Israeli audience and likened it to the excitement surrounding soccer Argentinian legend Leo Messi, who plays in the U.S. for LA Galaxy.
Avdija responded with a smile saying, "I'm glad you're comparing me to Messi. The support from the people of Israel is simply amazing, especially during such times - people come, and you give them a positive experience. I'm blessed to do this. I invite everyone, I'm glad you're here, I'm glad you're cheering me on."
Sure, this game might not have a significant impact in the grand scheme of things, but it's no secret Deni Avdija is a crucial component in Washington's roster, and he certainly shone against the Bucks. With 23 points (10-of-17 shooting, 0-of-5 from three-point range, 3-of-4 from the free-throw line), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal, a block, 3 turnovers, and a plus-minus rating of 9+, he stood out as the standout performer among both teams.
Overall, his averages in the last 20 games are quite impressive: 18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and ten double-doubles. "It's hard to judge people just by numbers, but his improvement in recent years is remarkable, and he's doing what needs to be done," praised Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers.
And what did Avdija have to say? "I think we competed knowing that it doesn't matter what seed the Bucks are, nor the players, I think everybody took the challenge today and competed and you saw the defense on Yiannis, it was collective, honestly just a brilliant game from start to finish defensively, offensively, I got no words to describe this win it was amazing."