Spurs' Late-Game Foul on Jared McCain Upgraded to Flagrant Upon NBA Review

The San Antonio Spurs emptied their bench in the closing minutes of Tuesday night’s Game 5 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, putting in veteran players like Mason Plumblee and Bismack Biyombo.

With 1:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, Plumblee ran through the back of Thunder guard Jared McCain as he fought to defend Alex Caruso. A foul was called on the floor, and McCain went to the charity stripe to shoot free throws.

“Yeah, that was crazy. I didn’t expect it, obviously. We were at the free-throw line, and I was like, ‘Why’d you do that, man?’ I’m just asking a question,” McCain said after the game. “And he was like, ‘I got another one for you too,’ and I’m like, alright man let me get to the corner real quick, let’s finish this game out. It’s all in competition, so gotta respect it.”

Upon further review, the NBA upgraded Plumblee’s foul on McCain to a Flagrant 1. The league announced its decision on Wednesday afternoon.

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With under 50 seconds remaining in the game, Biyombo delivered another hard foul on McCain. The league did not upgrade that foul.

McCain made his first career playoff start in Game 5, with both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell ruled out with injuries. The second-year guard finished the game with 20 points, helping the Thunder to a 127-114 victory.

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Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 1:56 PM.