While Deni Avdija was even more unhappy when the Portland Trail Blazers suffered a 125-103 defeat against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, viewers might have felt equally miserable.
Unlike fans who turned the channel or Moda Center attendees heading for the exits in droves at the end of the third quarter, Avdija had to watch. After subbing out for good with 2:09 remaining in the third, the forward spent 14 minutes of mop-up basketball chained to the bench as a spectator.
The 6-foot-8 forward sat slumped back in his chair when the fourth quarter opened, arms crossed and entirely silent. Around the eight-minute mark, he unlaced his shoes before settling into a glum posture with his elbow resting on his knee and his chin resting on his palm.
As the Spurs dribbled out the clock, Avdija stood up first from the bench and headed down the tunnel immediately after the buzzer. He was ready to turn the page on a brutal night.
The things we’re gonna do the next time we’re gonna see ‘em,
Avdija said in the postgame locker room, describing what ran through his head during those final 14 minutes. Just thinking about the game plan, thinking about the mentality that we’re gonna meet ‘em again.
His body language telegraphed one of Portland’s more frustrating outings of the young NBA season. The Blazers could not buy a bucket during a dismal opening frame.
The second quarter devolved into a choppy mess defined by whistles, flops, and Ref, You Suck!
chants. Both teams combined for 22 fouls and 18 San Antonio free throws before halftime arrived.
Things unraveled further in the third quarter as the Spurs forced Blazers head coach Micah Nori to burn through four timeouts. San Antonio sprinted ahead, building an insurmountable lead that reached as large as 35 points.
We gotta make sure we compete and be who we are,
Nori said. And tonight, I thought was the first time that we kind of got away from that.
Both squads played on the second night of a back-to-back, though context matters. San Antonio cruised through a breezy road win over the Sacramento Kings the night before. Playing one of the league’s top contenders, the Blazers had to contend with missing a few key players following a four-game road trip and a grueling battle against the Los Angeles Lakers that required heavy minutes from the starters.
Well, first of all, we’re gonna be more fresh,
Avdija said looking ahead to their next meeting on Nov. 25 for an NBA Cup matchup. That’s a little crazy coming back from LA, getting home at 5 a.m., and waking up and playing. It’s not the best, but there’s no excuses in the NBA. You’re a professional. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Despite the blowout, a 6-3 start means Rip City is hardly facing a crisis. It was simply an ugly, taxing evening.
Postgame exchanges grew slightly tense when Nori fielded questions about whether the setback served as a slice of humble pie. Nori pushed back against the framing.
I don’t know what humble pie means from the fact that we’ve played really good basketball, we were 6-2 and there’s not one person on our team that was thinking all of a sudden we’re world-beaters and all this,
Nori said.
He noted that the team has focused on taking care of business on the road without arrogance. He credited the defending Western Conference champions for executing a decisive victory.
I think that they’re a very good team,
Nori said. They’re defending Western Conference champions, and they beat us. But to me, humble pie is when you’re walking around thinking that you can beat anybody, and you’re not putting the work in and just think that you’re gonna show up and win.
Nori paused for a moment before offering a final, unfiltered assessment of the evening.
It’s an ass-kicking,
Nori said. But it’s not humble pie.
