Apr 27, 2026
Tom Compayrot
Deni Avdija on Stephon Castle: « A level of disrespect I will not accept »
Deni Avdija criticizes Stephon Castle's behavior during the Spurs' 114-93 victory. The Portland forward denounces the San Antonio sophomore's "disrespectful" attitude in the final minutes of Game 4.
Photo Credit : © Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Tensions reached a boiling point during Game 4 of the first round between the Spurs and the Blazers on Sunday. Deni Avdija did not mince his words about the altercation with Stephon Castle in the final minutes of the game.
One provocation too many for the Portland forward
The incident occurred with 2 minutes and 13 seconds remaining, with the Spurs already leading by a wide margin. Castle drove past Avdija to finish close to the basket, then shoved the ball into his opponent’s chest after the whistle. The gesture did not sit well with the Blazers star, who immediately retaliated by pushing Castle back.
« I have a lot of respect for him, but shoving the ball into my chest at the end is unnecessary, » he told reporters after the game. « I don’t play those games. That’s not who I am. You can be physical, but there’s a level of disrespect I will not accept. He was doing a lot of trash-talking throughout the game. At some point, it was just disrespectful. »
The altercation put a bitter end to a frustrating night for Portland, who blew a 17-point halftime lead and fell 114-93. Despite finishing with 26 points overall, the Israeli star scored only 6 points in the fourth quarter, a period in which his team was outscored 40-19.
Stephon Castle and Deni Avdija received double techs for this sequence at the end of Spurs-Blazers Game 4. pic.twitter.com/IJx90QJlhp
— ESPN (@espn) April 26, 2026
San Antonio one win away from the second round
The Texas guard, for his part, made a decisive contribution to the Spurs‘ win with 16 points and 8 assists, his best assist total of the series. This performance gives Wembanyama‘s teammates a 3-1 series lead and puts them within reach of the second round of the playoffs.
The men led by Tiago Splitter will now need to respond in Game 5 to avoid elimination, while their opponents will have the chance to close out the series at home and advance. This Western Conference matchup has delivered on all its promises, and tensions are likely to continue given the stakes for each franchise.
With a background in sports management, Nicolas Flamecourt covers NBA news with a particular passion for the North American league, which he has been following for several years. He also covers the NCAA, including news and scouting of future prospects, and regularly conducts interviews with French players as well as players competing in Europe.
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