McCain Alleges Spurs Threatened Him Following Hard Fouls in Game 5
NBA upgrades Plumlee’s foul to a Flagrant 1 amid claims of pre-foul communication involving Victor Wembanyama
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain has alleged that San Antonio Spurs players threatened him following a series of hard fouls in the final minutes of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. The incident occurred as the Thunder secured a 127-114 victory to take a 3-2 series lead, with the next contest scheduled for Thursday in San Antonio.
McCain, who scored 20 points in his first playoff start, was fouled by Spurs reserves Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo with under two minutes remaining in the game. Plumlee’s foul, which involved an elbow to the back of McCain’s head while chasing Alex Caruso, was subsequently upgraded to a Flagrant 1 by the NBA following a league review.
In a post-game interview with NBA TV, McCain described the interaction at the free-throw line. He stated that after questioning Plumlee about the initial hard foul, the Spurs player responded by saying, "I got another one for you too." McCain noted that he then moved to the corner to finish out the game, acknowledging the physical nature of the competition.
The allegations gained additional attention due to observations made before the fouls occurred. McCain reported that Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was seen whispering to both Plumlee and Biyombo as he checked out of the game. It remains unclear what was said during this interaction, and Wembanyama did not speak to reporters following the match.
The Thunder’s victory was particularly significant given their absence of key shot-creators Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. McCain’s performance, including 44 total points across Games 3 and 5, has been critical to Oklahoma City’s series advantage. The Spurs now face their first elimination game of the Wembanyama era, with defensive physicality likely to be a focal point as they attempt to level the series.
