The NBA has announced that Mason Plumlee of the San Antonio Spurs has been given a retroactive flagrant one foul for a late-game foul against Jared McCain of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night.
Originally, the Plumlee foul on McCain was deemed a normal foul in the moment, but the day after the game, the league changed its stance.
The Spurs ended up losing to the Thunder in Game 5, but the Plumlee and McCain incident was one of the leading topics of discussion after the contest.
NBA Announces Punishment For Spurs Foul On Jared McCain In Game 5
In a post on social media, the NBA Officials account confirmed the league had upgraded Plumlee’s foul on McCain.
“Mason Plumlee’s (SAS) foul against Jared McCain (OKC) at 1:39 of the 4th quarter in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on 5/26/26 has been upgraded to a Flagrant 1 after league review,” the account wrote on X.
Near the end of Game 5, after McCain had already put together a strong performance for Oklahoma City, Plumlee made contact with the young guard, appearing to hit him with an elbow near his neck.
The move sparked a bit of controversy as, while McCain didn’t appear injured, many speculated it was Victor Wembanyama who sent a message to the Spurs’ Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo, who were subsequently involved in the foul and scuffle that ensued after.
“Victor Wembanyama whispered something to Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo before they checked in for garbage time,” the account Fullcourtpass wrote in a post on X. “Both players proceeded to give hard fouls on Jared McCain.”
Niether Wembanyama, Plumlee, or Biyombo spoke to the media after the game, and while they likely wouldn’t have commented on if the foul was premeditated, that will still remain a mystery for the time being.
What Did Jared McCain Say About The Plumlee Foul?
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 26: Jared McCain #3 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate during the fourth quarter of a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
McCain was the subject of the Plumlee foul that has now been upgraded to a Flagrant 1. Though he didn’t appear injured, while speaking to NBA TV after the game, the young star revealed surprising details on what went down at the end of Game 5.
“Yeah, that was crazy. I didn’t expect it, obviously,” McCain said. “We were at the free-throw line, and I was like, ‘Why’d you do that, man?’ I’m just asking a question. And he was like, ‘I got another one for you too,’ and I’m like, alright man lemme get to the corner real quick, let’s finish this game out. It’s all in competition, so gotta respect it.”
With the NBA’s decision, the league appears to see a bigger problem with Plumlee’s foul. However, according to McCain himself, he respects the move and didn’t feel it overstepped any boundaries of normal playoff competition.
The Spurs ended up losing the game that saw McCain score 20 points in his first playoff start. Now, San Antonio is down 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals.
They will have a chance to retie the series at the Frost Bank Center for Game 6 on Thursday, May 28, with tipoff time set for 7:30 pm CST for a matchup that will once again be live on NBC and Peacock.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post NBA Announces Punishment For Controversial Foul In Spurs-Thunder Game 5 appeared first on HEAVY.