Mason Plumlee’s foul against Thunder guard Jared McCain has been retroactively upgraded from a personal foul to a flagrant 1 by the league.
The incident occurred with less than two minutes remaining in Oklahoma City’s Game 5 victory over the Spurs.
Plumlee, a reserve center for San Antonio, had only just checked into the game for the first time when the foul took place.
The upgrade was confirmed by the league through an official communication shared via a Twitter link.
The decision to reclassify the foul as a flagrant 1 came after a review of the play by league officials following the conclusion of the game.
Flagrant 1 fouls are typically assessed when unnecessary contact is deemed to have occurred against an opposing player during the course of play.
The timing of the foul, coming so late in the contest, drew additional attention to the play and likely contributed to the league’s decision to review the incident.
Plumlee’s role in the game was limited, having entered the contest only moments before the foul was committed against McCain.
The retroactive upgrade means the foul carries additional weight in the official record of the game, beyond what was initially assessed by on-court officials during the contest.
The ruling adds a notable footnote to Oklahoma City’s Game 5 result, which saw the Thunder secure the win over their Spurs opponents in what proved to be a significant contest in the series.
