If the Denver Nuggets were going to beat the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night at the Moda Center without superstar center Nikola Jokic, they were going to have to stop Deni Avdija. Denver head coach Michael Malone seemed to know that — after all, Avdija had just punished the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday for 31 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists.

“He’s ultra-aggressive, really physical, great size, shooting the 3-point shot extremely well, very confident, and when he gets downhill to that right hand he’s a problem,” Malone said about Avdija at Friday’s pregame media availability. “And they’re putting the ball in his hands a ton. He’s playing a lot of pick-and-roll. They’re trusting him to make plays, to score, and I love just how hard he plays and how physical he is. He’s a hell of a player.”

So Malone knew about Avdija’s prowess beforehand. The Nuggets must have been preparing for it. They still couldn’t do anything about it. With Malone’s glowing pregame review serving as foreshadowing, Avdija ran wild against Denver. The 6-foot-9, 24-year-old forward put up a season-high 36 points on 12-16 shooting, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead Portland to a runaway 128-109 win.

It marked Avdija’s second straight 30-point game and Portland’s second consecutive win over an opponent with a winning record after the team hadn’t tallied one since Feb. 4. The stellar play from Avdija goes beyond just two games; he’s been on a tear for practically all of March. In his last nine games, Avdija has averaged 23.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting 52.8% from the field and 50% on 3s. In a season that had already been heralded as a success, Avdija has reached an even higher gear.

“I think Deni is learning a lot about Deni at the moment,” Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said after the win. “ … I think the way that we’re playing, with the pace that we’re playing at, it suits him.”

“I don’t think I’ve played [this well] before,” added Avdija, asked to think back over his five seasons in the NBA to find a similar stretch. “I think I knew I had it in me.”

Everything Malone praised about Avdija before tipoff, Avdija showed it on the court. There were the physical, bruising drives (seven of his buckets came from around the restricted area, and that’s not counting the shots that helped him draw nine free throws). His 3-point shot was on (he went 4-6 from deep, an output that included two pull-up triples). And there was the confidence, never more evident than in the fourth quarter when Avdija flashed his “you can’t see me” celebration to the crowd as the ball went through the net on a pretty and-1 finger roll.

After the Blazers trailed by five at the half, Avdija was an integral part of Portland’s third-quarter charge that swung the game their way. He scored 11 points to help Portland win the quarter, 34-23, and seven of those points came during an early 14-0 run that set the tone for the remainder of the game.

“I always say, the people that play with the most force usually do well in this league,” Billups said. “And he plays with a ton of force, but I just like everything else he’s doing. His playmaking is getting better.”

Fittingly, Avdija put the bow on the blowout win. With 3:21 left, Avdija gave the Blazers a 21-point lead with a loud 3-point swish. Then on the very next play, he intercepted a pass to get a breakaway dunk, enjoying some extra hang time on the rim for emphasis.

It was a gem of a sequence, the latest in a hot streak that has taken Avdija’s game to new heights. The way he sees it, there’s still a lot more room to climb.

“I’m learning a lot about myself as a player,” Avdija said. “I’m still making mistakes because I’m not used to being in this position a lot, but I’m super excited for how much better I can become and how much I want to work on different things and evolve my game.”