Stephon Castle Flames NBA’s Lopsided Officiating Against OKC: “We Don’t Get That Same Luxury”

Stephon Castle thinks the Thunder are getting away with physicality.

Stephon Castle Flames NBA’s Lopsided Officiating Against OKC: “We Don’t Get That Same Luxury”

Stephon Castle (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Stephon Castle criticized officiating after the Spurs' 127-114 loss to the Thunder in Game 5.
  • The Spurs were called for 29 fouls, leading to a significant disparity in free throw attempts.
  • Castle highlighted the defensive pressure on Victor Wembanyama, who struggled to perform in the game.

Stephon Castle was the only bright spark for the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, it was not enough as they found themselves on the brink of elimination heading into Game 6.

The Spurs were chasing OKC for the majority of the game as the defending champions bounced back strongly after losing Game 4. In the end, the Spurs succumbed to a disappointing 127-114 defeat at the Paycom Center on Tuesday night.

While speaking to the media, Castle criticized the officials for their inconsistency in calling fouls.

The way they (OKC) 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.

Stephon Castle in his post match press conference

The Spurs struggled to stamp their authority in Game 5 after their impressive performance in Game 4. They struggled to find any rhythm in the match and shot very poorly from the field on Tuesday night.

Stephon Castle tried to keep his team afloat, recording a team-high 24 points along with five rebounds and six assists. However, the Spurs were called for 29 fouls, seven more than the Thunder in Game 5. Hence, the Thunder ended up shooting 38 free throws compared to 18 in Game 4.

But Castle was in no mood to hide his feelings when he spoke about the officiating in Game 5. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the officiating during this year’s playoffs, especially in Thunder games.

In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Los Angeles Lakers players confronted the officials over their poor officiating. The Thunder have also been criticized for their flopping and foul-baiting. Hence, it is not surprising to see Castle call out the officials.

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Shannon Sharpe calls out the officials after Game 5

With one minute left in the third quarter, Cason Wallace stopped Luke Kornet at the rim. But later replays showed it was goaltending. However, the referees allowed the play to continue. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was left livid and was given a technical foul for voicing his frustration at the referee.

Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe went off on the referees for missing a clear case of goaltending.

I thought the officials had a bad stretch. That was a goaltending. How did they miss that? The ball went off Chet foot. How do you miss that? And the ref trying to get a challenge and y’all all like what? No, come on. You can’t miss that. Look, I understand both of them got size 30 shoes. One got a boat, the other got a yacht, but the ball went off Chet foot. It did.

Shannon Sharpe on Nightcap

There have been some questionable decisions by the referees throughout the playoffs. The Spurs will have to be more disciplined in their defense in Game 6.

Stephon Castle reveals how the Thunder cornered Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama was coming off a dominant performance in Game 4. However, he was far from his best on Tuesday night. The Thunder have been physical with him in this series. They have also been sending multiple bodies to get him off the ball as much as they can.

Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama
Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama (Image via San Antonio Spurs/X)

After the game, Stephon Castle revealed the enormous defensive pressure OKC threw towards Wembanyama.

I think they send so many bodies toward him, it’s hard, at times. I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win, so it’s tough. But he’s our best player, so yeah, we need him to be aggressive.

Stephon Castle in his post match press conference

It was an off night by the French star’s standards as he struggled to stay aggressive in the game. He recorded just 20 points and six rebounds in Game 5. The Spurs head back home for Game 6 and will need their franchise player to deliver once again, as he did in Games 1 and 4.

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