The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back in Game 2 of the Western Conference, overcoming the San Antonio Spurs in a 122-113 result. With Isaiah Hartenstein (10 PTS, 13 REB, 3 AST) bringing the physicality on the defensive end, the Thunder benefited greatly from their center’s contributions.
While OKC fans rejoiced at the sight of Isaiah Hartenstein’s revitalized effort, some plays raised eyebrows. In light of the Thunder’s reputation for being overtly physical and downright “dirty” on some occasions, Spurs fans took notice of Hartenstein’s unsportsmanlike plays.
Early in the fourth quarter, Isaiah Hartenstein could be seen battling for a rebound with Spurs guard Stephon Castle (25 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST). After Castle tipped the ball loose from the Thunder center’s hands, the big man flailed his arms and grabbed Castle by the hair to drag him down before chasing after the loose ball.
Isaiah Hartenstein just grabbed Stephon Castle by the hair and pulled him down 👀
Good or bad no call? 🤔pic.twitter.com/9ZvQMgwVj9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 21, 2026
The replay clearly showed Hartenstein gripping Castle’s hair, and still, no foul was called on the play. Needless to say, Spurs fans were enraged while sharing reactions to the clip on social media.
“That’s straight up b–ch behavior,” commented one Spurs fan.
“Should’ve been a call and a flagrant call as well!” said another. “Allowing a dirty a– thug like this POS to injure a player! This game, the refs allowed this dirty s–t to happen all night! This motherf—er should’ve fouled out by halftime! Harper got injured because of this dirty s–t.”
“No call? They gave OKC free throws for it. Trash team is trash, and the refs helped them the entire game by “missing” plays like this,” observed another fan.
“You know that answer. He is truly a dirty player. Ridiculous what he gets away with,” added one more.
One user noted Hartenstein’s blatant attempt to stop Castle and stated, “Flagrant 1 at minimum.”
“Should have been ejected,” another fan chimed in.
“Should be suspended,” reiterated one fan.
“To be honest, it is the first time for me to see a player grab the others’ hair in the NBA!! Thanks for expanding my horizons,” added another, sarcastically.
“He’s a punk b–ch for that,” commented one user.
“That’s filthy,” shared another.
While Isaiah Hartenstein’s dirty play against Stephon Castle was egregious, it wasn’t the only instance in which the big man resorted to foul play to restrict Spurs players.
Isaiah Hartenstein holding Victor Wembanyama
AGAIN pic.twitter.com/TG7YFkbrES
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 21, 2026
As the primary defender on Victor Wembanyama (21 PTS, 17 REB, 6 AST, 4 BLK), Isaiah Hartenstein did a terrific job of limiting the Spurs’ superstar’s production, especially in light of his explosive Game 1 performance. However, the Thunder center could be seen grabbing the Spurs’ big man by the arm on multiple occasions, drawing livid reactions from fans on X.
“Fouling with no calls on him,” noted one fan.
“So many missed calls. Silver wants the series to go 7,” suggested one user.
“This is exactly why the world wants OKC to lose,” shared one passionate fan.
“Maybe the refs received a watch each from Shai,” commented another, referring to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP present to his teammates.
“This isn’t how basketball should be played. I’m definitely rooting against them,” added another user.
“Unethical man,” reiterated another.
“Hartenstein’s highlight tape,’ and it’s just him assaulting Wemby,” joked one user.
“I don’t get how this is allowed,” questioned another.
“Lmao, so their adjustment is for Hartenstein to hold onto Wemby every possession?” said one exasperated fan.
“Refs letting Hartenstein hold Wemby’s arm in an armbar all game is funny af,” observed another.
To say that the manner in which Game 2 was officiated was questionable would be an understatement. Although it is expected for a WCF series between two of the best teams in the league to be a physical matchup, it is safe to say that some rules are being bent.
With the series now level at 1-1, the Spurs will head home for the next set of games. With Victor Wembanyama being targeted by Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, the Spurs must find a solution to regain control of the series.
