On Saturday, Deni Avdija missed a pair of critical late-game shots that sent Israel to a costly loss.

On Sunday, the Portland Trail Blazers’ starting small forward carried his home country to an important victory.

Avdija had another dominant all-around performance and Israel rallied from a first-half deficit to defeat previously-unbeaten France, 82-69, in Group D play at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament in Katowice, Poland.

Avdija had his best and most impactful performance of the tournament in the win, finishing with a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds, five steals and two assists. And he was at his best in the fourth quarter, when Israel seized control of a tight game with an 11-0 run.

The two-way force had 10 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in the final fra

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