Deni Avdija speaks out on ‘disrespect’ from Stephon Castle

The Portland Trail Blazers fell behind 3-1 in their opening round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs after their 114-93 loss in Game 4, a game that also featured a bit of fireworks between Deni Avdija and Stephon Castle. Both players went head to head during a brief altercation late in the fourth quarter, and were each assessed technical fouls.

Following the Blazers’ Game 4 loss to the Spurs, Deni Avdija spoke about the perceived disrespect from the Stephon Castle that led to the entire ordeal.

“I think he’s a good player, I have a lot of respect for him. But the thing at the end, all the shoving the ball into my chest is unnecessary. I don’t play those games, it’s not who I am,” Avdija said. “You can be tough, you can be physical, but there’s a level of disrespect that I’m not gonna accept … he does a lot of provocation throughout the whole game and I think at one point it was just disrespectful. And as I said, I’m not playing that.”

The incident occurred late in the fourth quarter when Castle got into the paint and attacked the basket. He was fouled on both sides from Avdija and Scoot Henderson. After the initial foul was called, Castle shoved the ball into Avdija’s chest causing a reaction shove from Avdija and both players exchanging words. They were eventually separated by their respective teammates.

The Blazers now face the prospect of elimination in Game 5 with the series shifting back to San Antonio. The Blazers will need a big game from Avdija in particular in order to avoid elimination and extend the series. The first-time All-Star has been leading the way for the Blazers all season.