Stephon Castle Sends Blunt Message to Critics Questioning Spurs’ Young Core

Just as he said, San Antonio backed up that belief with its most complete performance of the series. Castle described it as a “professional” effort, highlighting how the team “punched them in the chest first” to set the tone early in a closeout scenario.

The Spurs controlled the game on both ends. De’Aaron Fox led with 21 points, while Victor Wembanyama anchored the interior with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks. Defensively, San Antonio held Portland to 95 points and dictated tempo throughout.

Despite limited playoff experience, the Spurs now move into the second round with momentum and belief.  

Stephon Castle Criticized for Game 4 Altercation

Despite a series win against the Trail Blazers, Stephon Castle found himself under scrutiny following a late-game altercation with Deni Avdija.

The incident unfolded with just over two minutes remaining after Avdija was called for a foul on Castle’s layup. Following the basket, Castle pressed the ball into Avdija’s chest, sparking a brief shoving exchange that resulted in technical fouls for both players. 

While the moment was quickly contained, it drew criticism for crossing the line between physical play and unnecessary provocation.

Avdija did not hold back postgame, calling the gesture “disrespectful” despite acknowledging Castle’s talent.

“I think he’s a good player, I have a lot of respect for him, but … the shoving the ball into my chest is unnecessary. I don’t play those games. It’s not who I am. 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.”

Additionally, Spurs assistant coach Tiago Splitter downplayed the situation, attributing it to playoff intensity, though he admitted Castle’s action may have been “a little excessive.”