Five days ago, Victor Wembanyama slammed face-first into the hardwood, jaw hitting the floor hard enough to end his night after just 12 minutes. That’s when the actual tension set in over whether the San Antonio Spurs could win without him. ‘The Alien’ spent the week clearing cardio, neurological tests, and league protocol benchmarks, passing each stage before receiving a green signal less than an hour before tip-off on Sunday. His return to the Moda Center produced a performance that removed any doubt about where this series is going, and left Portland with far bigger concerns than a concussion protocol timeline.
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The intensity boiled over near the closing minutes, when Avdija and Castle lost their cool. With the latter getting fouled while completing a layup, the Spurs star sank the basket and then placed the ball right in front of Avdija’s chest. Unsurprisingly, that triggered the Blazers player, and he retaliated with a shove, while Castle didn’t hesitate to shove him back. Both were separated and issued technical fouls for their conduct. However, Castle had the last laugh for obvious reasons.
The Spurs pulled off a commanding 114-93 victory over the Blazers in Game 4. Wemby returned from his concussion to deliver 27 points, 11 rebounds, and seven blocks. He went 9-of-17 from the field, adding three assists and four steals. De’Aaron Fox added 28 points as San Antonio dominated the second half after a turbulent first two quarters that included a Blazers’ 17-point lead and a flash of the intensity that has defined this increasingly physical series.
The Castle-Avdija confrontation came after a sequence in a game that had already seen Castle leave for X-rays on his hand in the first half. The Spurs star appeared to injure his left hand during a Blazers fast break and was taken back to the locker room for evaluation before returning in the second half. The physical toll on both sides is real, but only one of them has the series lead to show for it. Avdija had promised before tip-off that Game 4 would be the most physical game of the series yet, and that Portland would be ready for it. However, the scoreboard at the final buzzer suggested otherwise.
Stephon Castle and Deni Avdija received double techs for this sequence at the end of Spurs-Blazers Game 4.
Portland led 45-28 during an 18-3 first-half run, with Robert Williams III, Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, and Avdija combining to blow the game open. The Blazers held a 58-41 lead at the break, their largest of the series. What followed in the third quarter was a reminder of exactly why Wemby’s return mattered: the Spurs opened the second half with a 13-0 run, erased the deficit entirely, and never trailed again, with Devin Vassell’s jumper tying it at 62 before San Antonio took the lead and controlled the fourth quarter from wire to wire. San Antonio scored 73 points in the second half, compared to just 35 for Portland.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers Player Stats and Box Score
San Antonio Spurs
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Devin Vassell | 35 | 11 | 5-9 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | +14 |
| Julian Champagnie | 29 | 8 | 3-6 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +22 |
| Victor Wembanyama | 34 | 27 | 9-17 | 1-4 | 8-8 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | +28 |
| De’Aaron Fox | 39 | 28 | 11-17 | 4-8 | 2-4 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +21 |
| Stephon Castle | 26 | 16 | 6-14 | 3-6 | 1-1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | +17 |
| BENCH | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| Luke Kornet | 12 | 2 | 1-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -10 |
| Dylan Harper | 25 | 3 | 1-6 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | +4 |
| Keldon Johnson | 17 | 9 | 3-5 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -5 |
| Carter Bryant | 6 | 6 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 |
| Harrison Barnes | 11 | 2 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +8 |
| Jordan McLaughlin | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 |
| Bismack Biyombo | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 |
| Lindy Waters III | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 |
| Mason Plumlee | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | +3 |
| Kelly Olynyk | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TEAM TOTAL | – | 114 | 43-87 (49.4%) | 14-33 (43.4%) | 14-17 (82.4%) | 40 | 26 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 21 | – |
Portland Trail Blazers
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Deni Avdija | 37 | 26 | 8-14 | 2-3 | 8-9 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | -16 |
| Toumani Camara | 31 | 8 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -12 |
| Donovan Clingan | 14 | 5 | 2-10 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -14 |
| Jrue Holiday | 37 | 20 | 6-13 | 3-6 | 5-6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -25 |
| Scoot Henderson | 27 | 0 | 0-7 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -22 |
| BENCH | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| Jerami Grant | 33 | 17 | 6-12 | 1-3 | 4-4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -6 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 13 | 8 | 3-6 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +5 |
| Robert Williams III | 26 | 4 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +3 |
| Kris Murray | 13 | 4 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -9 |
| Sidy Cissoko | 4 | 0 | 0-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -3 |
| Vit Krejci | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| Blake Wesley | 2 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| Hansen Yang | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| Matisse Thybulle | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TEAM TOTAL | – | 93 | 32-80 (40.0%) | 10-31 (32.3%) | 19-23 (82.6%) | 39 | 14 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 20 |
Score Details and Match Summary
San Antonio Spurs 114, Portland Trail Blazers 93
Western Conference First Round, Game 4, Moda Center, Portland
Series: San Antonio leads 3-1
The Spurs fell behind by as many as 19 in the first half before a dominant second-half performance completed the comeback. Fox and Keldon Johnson hit back-to-back three-pointers to put San Antonio ahead 90-77 with 7:14 remaining in the fourth, and Johnson’s dunk with 4:31 left made it 101-81, effectively sealing a result that had looked improbable at halftime.
San Antonio Key Performers
- Victor Wembanyama: 27 points, 11 rebounds, 7 blocks, 4 steals (the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon with 25+ points, 7+ blocks, and 4+ steals in a playoff game.)
- De’Aaron Fox: 28 points
- Stephon Castle: Returned from a hand scare to contribute before his late altercation with Avdija.
Portland Key Performers
- Deni Avdija: 26 points to lead the Blazers in a losing effort.
The Spurs and Wemby will return to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday night, one win away from advancing to the second round. Avdija and the Blazers will need to prepare for what is now an elimination game on the road. Whether the Avdija-Castle altercation carries any further consequences before Tuesday will be determined by the league in the coming 48 hours.