Deni Avdija Addresses Altercation With Stephon Castle in Game 4
Portland Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija did not appreciate what San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle did late in Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday. Castle drove to the basket and was fouled as he went up to shoot a layup. After he went down, he shoved the basketball on Avdija's chest, and the Blazers forward reacted to it.
Avdija retaliated and pushed Castle back, letting the second-year guard know that he wasn't a fan of it. Both players were given technical fouls and had to be separated by their respective teams.
After the Spurs' 114-93 win, Avdija addressed what happened between them and explained his reaction.
Deni Avdija Calls Castle's Move "Disrespectful"
"I think he's a good player, I have a lot of respect for him, but the thing at the end with shoving the ball in my chest is unnecessary," Avdija said. "I don't play those games. That's not who I am. You can be tough, you can be physical, but there's a level of disrespect I'm not going to accept."
"He's done a lot of provocation throughout the whole game. At one point, it was just disrespectful."
Deni Avdija on the Castle altercation
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 26, 2026
"I have a lot of respect for him but the thing at the end with shoving the ball in my chest is unnecessary. I don't play those games. That not who I am. You can be physical but there's a level of disrespect I'm not going to accept. He's… https://t.co/66u6CXffrDpic.twitter.com/Z4HILjObMh
The series between the Spurs and Blazers has been intense through the four games they've played. The pressure is on Avdija and his team to try to mount a comeback from a 3-1 deficit.
On Sunday, Avdija had a team high of 26 points on 57.1% shooting from the field. The Blazers star added seven rebounds and three assists, but it wasn't enough to tie the series. Veteran guard Jrue Holiday was the only other player who scored at least 20 points, and he was the third player to score in double digits.
For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama returned to action after missing Game 3 due to being under the league's concussion protocol. The Blazers could not take advantage of Wembanyama's absence in the previous game and suffered a 120-108 defeat.
The series will return to San Antonio, and the Spurs will attempt to close out the opening round to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. However, the Blazers are not giving up that easily.
During the postgame press conference, interim head coach Tiago Splitter said the team will explore options regarding potential lineup changes for Game 5.
"Yeah, we're gonna see all the options," Splitter said. "What looks better, what's not."
Game 5 will be on Tuesday at the Frost Bank Center.
Related: Skip Bayless Poses 1 Concern for Thunder as Spurs' Rise Continues
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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 9:18 PM.