Heated altercation halts play in Game 3 of Spurs-Thunder

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Heated altercation halts play in Game 3 of Spurs-Thunder

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated May 22, 2026 10:28 PM ET

Tempers flared right in the thick of Friday’s Game 3 between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Western Conference Finals matchup came to a screeching halt with 8:19 left in the third quarter due to a contentious moment at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell committed a dangerous foul on Spurs star Stephon Castle as the latter went for a layup in transition.

TENSIONS ARE FLARING IN SAN ANTONIO. pic.twitter.com/d6KL2ClkmW
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 23, 2026

The foul from behind sent Castle crashing toward the baseline. Spurs veteran Devin Vassell took exception to the contact and confronted Mitchell. The two exchanged shoves as players from both sides flooded into the scrum to keep things from escalating.

THINGS GETTING CHIPPY pic.twitter.com/0AkOFmM51t
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 23, 2026

Mitchell was assessed a flagrant foul penalty 1 for pushing Castle as he was airborne. Mitchell and Vassell were both hit with offsetting technical fouls.

The first two games of the Spurs-Thunder series have treated fans to some of the highest-level basketball the NBA has seen in a long time. With both 60-win teams capable of playing rugged, physical basketball, it was only a matter of time before tension boiled over.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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