There it is again: another player voicing frustration over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s exceptional ability to draw foul calls.
The latest name is San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, who appeared unhappy with the officiating after the Spurs were pushed to the brink of elimination in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss in the Western Conference Finals.
Stephon Castle Calls Out the Officiating After Game 5 Loss to the Thunder
The Spurs entered Game 5 with sky-high confidence after their dominant Game 4 victory, in which they held the Thunder to 82 points. But the reigning NBA champions, sensing a real threat to their hopes of securing another title, came out strong and defeated San Antonio 127-114.
Gilgeous-Alexander, whom the Spurs held to only 19 points in Game 4, bounced back with a 32-point, 9-assist, and 2-rebound performance in 37 minutes.
OKC came prepared and avoided the same mistakes that cost them Game 4 of the WCF. More importantly, they improved their field-goal percentage to 48.2%, which ultimately proved to be the difference.
However, from the Spurs’ perspective, the officiating heavily favored the Thunder, adding to the Victor Wembanyama-led squad’s crushing defeat.
Castle, who has been the primary defender against SGA throughout the WCF, appeared particularly frustrated with the physicality of Oklahoma City’s play and the number of calls going in OKC’s favor.
Speaking in the postgame press conference, the 2025 Rookie of the Year pointed to the Thunder’s physical approach while also taking a subtle shot at the officiating.
“The way they guard, how physical they are, we don’t get that same luxury to be able to play as physical on the other end at times, but offensively, I think we do a good job of screening and playing through it,” Castle said.
Stephon Castle CALLED OUT OKC and the refs:
“The way they guard, how physical they are… we don’t get that same luxury to be able to play as physical on the other end at times” pic.twitter.com/MY6HR68tfV
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) May 27, 2026
There were multiple moments during the game where Castle looked visibly frustrated by the whistles going SGA’s way.
One such moment came in the second quarter when Castle tried contesting Gilgeous-Alexander’s drive to the rim, only for the play to end with a whistle.
Shai had 30 points on 6 made shots.
Generational whistle. pic.twitter.com/8BgfonS2iQ
— House of Lowlights (@HouseLowlights) May 27, 2026
SGA capitalized, getting to the free-throw line 17 times and knocking down 16 of those attempts.
Ironically, Castle himself has played a highly physical brand of defense against SGA throughout the series, which could make his comments a tough sell for Thunder fans.
That said, the Spurs are now backed against the wall after OKC bounced back in Game 5 and grabbed a 3-2 series lead.
San Antonio now heads home for Game 6, but Gilgeous-Alexander is finding his rhythm again, and Oklahoma City is matching the Spurs physically without consequences, raising concerns for Wembanyama and company.
The Spurs need a win to keep their season alive, but it will not be easy, as OKC now sits just one victory away from returning to the NBA Finals.
