Ajay Mitchell crossed a line — and Devin Vassell instantly snapped back

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Ajay Mitchell crossed a line — and Devin Vassell instantly snapped back originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

During Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, Ajay Mitchell pushed Stephon Castle from behind while he was trying to make a layup on a fastbreak. Devin Vassell quickly ran at Mitchell to confront him.

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The confrontation ignited with just over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter at Frost Bank Center. Vassell had stolen the ball and pushed the pace on the fastbreak for the Spurs.

He fed the ball ahead to Castle on the break for what appeared to be an uncontested layup. Mitchell sprinted across the court from the weak side and pushed Castle in the back while he was airborne.

Castle tumbled hard toward the baseline from the dangerous contact. Vassell immediately rushed over to confront Mitchell and defend his fallen teammate. The two exchanged shoves and heated words near the basket.

Players from both teams swarmed the area to separate the pair before things escalated further. San Antonio security personnel also stepped onto the court to restrain Castle. Officials intervened quickly to restore order during the heated moment.

After a video review, the officiating crew assessed Mitchell with a flagrant 1 foul for pushing Castle in the back while airborne. Mitchell and Vassell each received offsetting technical fouls for their post-play confrontation.

No punches were thrown during the scuffle, and no players were ejected from the game. The incident reflected the escalating tension between two 60-win teams battling for control of the series.

Devin Vassell defended his teammate after Ajay Mitchell crossed the line

San Antonio had made its intentions clear before tipoff about matching Oklahoma City’s aggressive defensive approach. “Hit back. Honestly, hit back,” Julian Champagnie told reporters about protecting Victor Wembanyama from the Thunder.

“The guys hit him, they pull him, they grab his jersey,” Champagnie continued about the Thunder. “That’s just a physicality thing, and as a team we need to hit them back.”

The Spurs backed up those words with a 15-0 run to open the game on their home floor. Oklahoma City answered behind its dominant bench, which poured in 76 points.

The Thunder won 123-108 to seize a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. The two teams will meet again on Monday night in San Antonio for Game 4.

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