Victor Wembanyama’s brief sideline conversation with Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo during the closing minutes of Game 5 might have gone unnoticed if not for what happened next. Moments after the Spurs veterans checked in, Jared McCain was sent to the floor on consecutive possessions, including a hard foul from Plumlee that was later upgraded to a Flagrant 1. As cameras focused on the exchange, NBC’s Mike Tirico revealed what the network believed Wembanyama had told his teammates before they entered the game.

“As the other bigs went in there, ‘Hard foul’ was the message sent to Mason Plumlee, Bismack Biyombo, and you saw just that. That Plumlee foul on McCain was upgraded to a flagrant one after review by the league yesterday… Been clean so far, we haven’t seen any bad calls, [for Game 6]” Tirico said on the NBC broadcast.

Evidence doesn’t lie. The camera angle caught Victor Wembanyama mentioning “hard fouls” to Plumlee. The Spurs’ cornerstone covered his mouth when speaking to Biyombo. But it was obvious that the reigning DPOY instigated the blindsided rush on Jared McCain.

This marks the second incident in which Wembanyama’s physicality has drawn scrutiny this postseason. In the Spurs’ second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was ejected, but not fined, for a blatant elbow to Naz Reid’s neck.

What was then an in-game act of aggression has now apparently escalated to sideline-directed instructions for hard fouls, suggesting a pattern of physicality that the NBA may no longer be able to ignore.

McCain took a crunch from the back when Plumlee barged into him. Had the hit been to a sensitive part of his back, we would be discussing an avoidable injury, brought up only because of Wembanyama’s clear command.

With the series tied 2-2 at the time and the Spurs facing a must-win situation, the frustration driving that command was understandable, but the timing made it indefensible. Ordering hard fouls when the game was already decided served no strategic purpose and only risked ruling McCain out for the most critical games of his career.

He didn’t expect things to get this heated when the Thunder secured the Game 5 win.

“Yeah, that was crazy. I didn’t expect it. We were at the free-throw line, and I was like, ‘Why’d you do that, man?’ And he was like ‘I got another one for you too,” McCain stated after the game.

Brute physicality has been a theme during this series. In Game 5 itself, Wembanyama purposely bumped his arch-rival, Chet Holmgren, during a timeout. In earlier games, Isaiah Harteinstein pulled Stephon Castle’s hair, a clear foul that went unnoticed.

He and OKC have also used some underhanded methods to stop San Antonio’s 7’4″ phenom. Game 5 also featured some controversial decisions. The Spurs didn’t play well, but felt cheated by the referees in critical moments.

Watching his coach be denied a challenge may have sent Wembanyama over the edge. However, that’s no excuse to promote unnecessary fouling at the end of the game.

Even a minor injury could have ruled Jared McCain out for the biggest games of his career. Hard fouls, when controlled, can send a statement.

If done when the game is still in the balance, it’s still explainable. But to do so when there’s nothing to fight for only risks an injury to McCain. Luckily, the Thunder guard was fine.

Victor Wembanyama makes a strong statement in Game 6

After everything that happened in Game 5, the San Antonio Spurs forgot all about it. A loss there meant they would be fighting for survival in this series. A win became a necessity.

Wembanyama, who skipped on his media duties, struggled in the previous game with a chance to go 3-2 up in the series. He clearly took that responsibility to heart, as tonight, Wembanyama played as if there was no pressure at all. His Game 6 performance has just made the series a whole lot interesting.

The Spurs didn’t just win. The same way OKC controlled Game 5, San Antonio went scorch-earthed. They created a 19-point separation in the third quarter, holding the Thunder to just 13 points in the period.

That run set the stage for a Game 7. Before that, Victor Wembanyama opened the game with buckets. Wemby scored 22 of his 28 points in the first half. It gave the Spurs a cushion and enough time for their surrounding stars to find some rhythm.

Wembanyama didn’t just do it on the offensive end. The Spurs held OKC to 37.2% shooting from the field and just 25% from beyond the arc.

Unsurprisingly, they had to take great difficulty shots with Wembanyama actively scanning the paint. The Thunder scored only 38 points in the paint. Wemby recorded three blocks and two steals, leading the Spurs’ sensational defensive effort tonight.

And everything now comes down to one Game 7. Fans were hopeful to see this series go all the way. Some predicted it, and it’s very much happening. Victor Wembanyama will prepare for the first Game 7 of his career, facing the toughest competition there is.

Do you think he can show up like tonight, or will the road atmosphere weigh him down? Let us know your views in the comments below.