Here it comes! The NBA has officially announced an upgraded flagrant foul on the Spurs center.

Shams, the news breaker:The NBA has warned Wembanyama...

It’s not a big deal. The reason was that Wembanyama declined a media interview after Game 5 of the WCF, leading to a warning from the NBA—no fines or further punishment.

Game 5 of the WCF was a pivotal matchup. In that crucial contest, Wembanyama went ice cold, hitting only 4 of 15 shots for 20 points with a -8 plus/minus. The Spurs lost 114-127 on the road to the Thunder, now trailing 2-3 in the series. One more loss and they’re headed home.

French journalist Maxime Aubin commented: “Give the young man a break. Wembanyama just didn’t do the interview because he was too frustrated.”

Looking at Wembanyama’s performance so far in this year’s WCF, the 22-year-old in his first NBA playoff run has been inconsistent. He put up 41 points, 24 rebounds, 3 blocks (14-25 FG); 21 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks (8-16 FG); 26 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks (8-15 FG); 33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks (11-22 FG); and 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks (4-15 FG).

Whenever Wembanyama is in a slump, the Spurs inevitably lose to the defending champion Thunder. His importance is clear. So for the do-or-die Game 6, he needs to step up and carry the team again to force a Game 7.

It is especially worth noting thatThe NBA officially announced that after review, it has upgraded the foul by Spurs center Plumlee on Thunder guard McCain in the fourth quarter of Game 5 to a Flagrant 1.

In short, the Spurs, already on the brink, are under pressure from multiple angles. But this could also fuel a strong comeback. They have proven many times in past matchups that they can beat the Thunder. In other words, the two teams are evenly matched in terms of pure basketball strength.

Well-known US media ESPN has predicted the win probabilities for Game 6 of the WCF as follows:

The Spurs, playing at home, have a slight edge at 53.9%, while the Thunder sit at 46.1%.