Sports

Tooth Gone, Lead Gone: How Spurs Turned Game 3 Around After Avdija’s Shocking Injury

Saturday, April 25, 2026
5 min read

Last night was pure madness on the court the kind of thing you tell your friends about over chai, and everyone leans in because it sounds like a movie scene. The San Antonio Spurs managed to claw back a 120‑108 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3, pushing their series lead to 2‑1. But if you ask most people what stuck with them, it wasn’t the final score; it was the moment Deni Avdija walked away with a broken tooth and a foul on his record. That whole sequence felt like a crazy piece of breaking news that you just had to see for yourself.

Avdija’s tooth‑and‑nail ordeal

Deni Avdija injured by an elbow during Spurs vs Blazers Game 3
Deni Avdija gets hit by an elbow in the second quarter a moment that turned into viral news across India.

It happened late in the second quarter. De’Aaron Fox, who’s usually a clean‑player, threw an elbow straight into Avdija’s mouth. The impact was enough to chip off a portion of his incisor. You could see the shock on Avdija’s face a mix of pain and disbelief and the crowd gasped as if they’d just heard a street‑vendor shout “Bhai, ek kilo bada!”

Right after that, the referee blew his whistle and called an offensive foul on Fox. For a split‑second it seemed like justice had been served. But then the Spurs challenged the call. In a twist that summed up Portland’s night, the review came back in favour of the Blazers, overturning the foul and instead charging Avdija with a blocking foul. So essentially, Avdija lost a tooth and got penalised for it. Talk about a double whammy truly a tooth‑and‑nail situation.

Fans on social media started sharing the clip, and it quickly became part of trending news India feeds. You could see memes popping up, with captions like “When you lose a tooth but still get blamed” it was a real piece of viral news that kept people scrolling for hours.

Spurs bite back without Wemby

Victor Wembanyama, who’s been the talk of the town for months, missed the game because of a concussion. Many thought the Spurs would be in trouble without their towering star. But the team didn’t just survive they thrived.

Enter Stephon Castle. The 20‑year‑old guard took charge and poured in a scorching 33 points, sprinkling in a few clutch threes when the clock was ticking down. Next to him, Dylan Harper added 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, showing that the young duo could handle the pressure.

What makes this even more fascinating is that Castle and Harper joined the exclusive club of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the only under‑21 pairs ever to each drop 25+ points in a playoff game. That’s a stat you’ll see in the latest news India updates, and it’s a big deal for a team that’s trying to prove itself without its big man.

In most cases, when a key player goes down, the whole lineup looks shaky. But the Spurs turned that into a chance to showcase depth. You could hear commentators in the arena saying, “they're really showing their teeth now,” which, honestly, was a perfect metaphor after Avdija’s incident.

Blazers’ early dominance and sudden collapse

The Trail Blazers weren’t just there to watch the Spurs scramble. Jrue Holiday led the charge with 29 points, and Portland built a solid 82‑67 lead midway through the third quarter. For a while, it looked like they would take the series back to San Antonio with a 3‑0 lead.

Then, something clicked on the Spurs’ side. They went on a 21‑5 run that completely flipped the momentum. By the end of the third, the score was 88‑87 in favor of San Antonio, and the energy in the arena shifted. The Blazers tried to respond, but the Spurs’ defense held firm, and the young duo kept hitting big shots.

That 21‑5 surge is what many analysts are now calling the decisive factor. It wasn’t just points on the board it was the psychological bite, the way the Spurs showed they could fight back despite the odds. This turnaround quickly became part of India’s trending news, with sports blogs writing about how resilience can change a game.

What the fans are saying a piece of viral news

From Delhi to Chennai, people were glued to their phones, sharing highlights and debating the foul reversal. On Twitter, hashtags like #AvdijaTooth, #SpursComeback, and #BlazersCollapse started trending. Many fans posted short videos of the elbow incident, adding sound effects that made the clip even more shareable.

One comment that kept popping up was, “If you lose a tooth, you should get a free ice‑cream, not a foul!” a light‑hearted jab that captured the mood. In Bangalore, a group of friends were watching the game on a big screen at a local café, and after the Spurs took the lead, they all shouted, “That’s how you bite back!” The phrase quickly turned into a meme across WhatsApp groups, showing how a single moment can become part of breaking news on a personal level.

These reactions are a reminder of how sports can ignite conversations that ripple through everyday life. It also shows why the story is getting so much attention in India updates it’s not just about points, it’s about drama, surprise, and a bit of chaos.

Looking ahead Game 4 on the horizon

With the series now 2‑1 in favor of the Spurs, Game 4 heads back to Portland. The Blazers will need to regroup quickly; they can’t afford another surrender after that 21‑5 run. Meanwhile, the Spurs will be hoping to keep the momentum alive, even without Victor Wembanyama.

Both teams have shown they can swing the tide in an instant Avdija’s tooth loss, the overturned foul, the young duo’s historic performance. What will happen next? That’s the question keeping fans awake, and it’s definitely the kind of story that will keep trending on the latest news India portals tomorrow.

If you’re following the series closely, keep an eye on the social feeds; the conversation will keep evolving, and you never know when another bite‑sized moment will make headlines.

Stay tuned for more breaking news and trending updates on the NBA playoffs, plus daily India updates that bring the best of sports, entertainment and more right to your screen.

Written by GreeNews Team — Senior Editorial Board

GreeNews Team covers international news and global affairs at GreeNews. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

#sensational#sports#global#trending

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