“It Was Just Disrespectful”: Deni Avdija Blasts Victor Wembanyama’s Teammate for Provocation in Blazers Loss

An ejection would undermine the intensity of the postseason. But Avdija isn’t wrong to feel disrespected since Castle poked him after when Portland was already down and out.

The Trail Blazers lose their heads again

The Trail Blazers led by 17 before the break, a bigger lead than they had in Game 2. But again, the Spurs needed one rejuvenated third-quarter run to completely flip the script. They won on a 23-4 run to start the third, limiting them to four points in the first eight minutes of the quarter. Head coach Thiago Splitter seemed disappointed during his press conference, calling it another mental breakdown.

“I thought we mentally kind of like break down. We couldn’t get over the fact that we were up and then they just came back into the game,” said the Trail Blazers head coach.

He pointed to the Spurs’ defense. Notably, Victor Wembanyana’s return established control inside the paint. The unanimous DPOY recorded seven blocks and four steals. The Trail Blazers didn’t have the path to a fluent offense since Wemby was guarding the rim.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson pointed to execution being the greatest factor behind the team’s rampant third-quarter comeback. The Spurs were able to play selfless basketball, but also had De’Aaron Fox lead the burst with a sensational offensive display.

“Might have been his best game as a Spur. I thought he dominated the game in every way,” Johnson said about Fox’s 28 points and 7 assists effort. “I think De’Aaron had the disposition we were looking for… I thought he completely took over the game.”

Led by Fox’s 18 second-half points, the Spurs shot 65.9% since the beginning of the fourth quarter. They outscored the Trail Blazers 73-35, winning by a margin of 21 points. Despite the lack of experience, this team has shown resilience, winning games without Wembanyama and finding multiple weapons over these two road games.

With a 3-1 lead and things going back home, the Spurs will look to finish this series early. For the Trail Blazers, they will have a short turnaround to get over their mental lapses. This contest could have looked very different. But the Spurs deserve credit for showing composure even when buried under an intimidating deficit.

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