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De’Aaron Fox chips Blazers Forward Deni Avdija’s tooth in Game 3 vs. Spurs
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- De’Aaron Fox chips Blazers Forward Deni Avdija’s tooth in Game 3 vs. Spurs
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Playoff basketball in the Pacific Northwest is officially a contact sport. During the Portland Trail Blazers ’ gritty Game 3 battle against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, Deni Avdija proved he is willing to leave everything on the hardwood, including a piece of his smile.
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The intensity peaked when Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox caught Avdija with a hard hit to the mouth during a physical spin move in the paint. The collision left Avdija with a chipped tooth, but the Blazers forward didn’t even blink.
He stayed in the game, shook off the dental emergency, and calmly stepped to the charity stripe to knock down both free throws. Those shots pushed his total to nine points at the time and served as a massive “welcome to the playoffs” moment for the Portland crowd.
While Avdija showed some serious veteran toughness, the Blazers ultimately struggled to capitalize on the momentum. San Antonio walked out of the Moda Center with a 120-108 victory, taking a 2-1 lead in the series despite playing without superstar Victor Wembanyama , who remains in concussion protocol.
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Avdija did his best to keep Portland afloat, finishing the night with 19 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. He lived at the free-throw line, shooting a massive 12-of-16 from the stripe, though he struggled from the floor with a 3-of-15 shooting performance. On the other side, Stephon Castle led a balanced Spurs attack with 33 points, orchestrating the offense perfectly in Wembanyama’s absence .
Portland now finds itself in a must-win situation heading into Game 4. If the Blazers want to even the series, they’ll need more of that “toothless” aggression from Avdija and a better shooting night from the rest of the rotation. Losing a tooth is one thing, but losing a home playoff series is a pain that lasts much longer.
Related: Blazers’ Deni Avdija draws eye-opening Luka Doncic comp from Hall of Famer
Related: Victor Wembanyama practice footage spurs optimism for Blazers Game 3
