Mason Plumlee

The NBA has upgraded San Antonio Spurs center Mason Plumlee's late-game foul on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain to a Flagrant 1 after league review, the NBA Officials account announced Wednesday. With 1:39 left in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 127-114 Thunder win, Plumlee stepped up to show on a screen and drove an elbow into McCain's back as the second-year guard trailed ball-handler Alex Caruso on an offensive set. The foul was called common on the floor. No suspension was issued. McCain, who was making his first playoff start with Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Ajay Mitchell (calf) sidelined, finished with 20 points, three rebounds, and a 7-for-19 mark from the field, with 18 of those points coming in the second half. Bismack Biyombo also delivered a hard foul on McCain with 46 seconds remaining, though that one was not upgraded. With the Thunder up 3-2 in the series, McCain is expected to keep the starting role in Game 6 on Thursday in San Antonio, and the chippiness of Game 5's closing minutes adds an extra layer to a road closeout attempt.