What happened: Deni Avdija said he is grateful to share the floor with Damian Lillard, calling him a pure shooter. The comments come after Portland's 123-103 win over Oklahoma City.

Why it matters: Lillard scored 22 points in that win, including 10 in the third quarter. Avdija is averaging 22.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 2026-27 through 9 games, while Lillard is at 19.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

What to watch: Portland continues its regular-season schedule with the Avdija-Lillard pairing.