The OKC Thunder returned to winning ways with a 122-113 win in Game 2—a morale booster after the disappointing loss in the WCF opener. However, the team’s physicality throughout the night sparked massive debate online. While the debate over Victor Wembanyama’s physicality has already grown, tonight it extended to his teammates as well.

And Thunder big Isaiah Hartenstein was at the center of these questionable plays.

Especially, the German baller caught everyone’s attention with his ugly act against Stephon Castle early in the fourth quarter. It even resulted in calls for his suspension. 

Around the 10th-minute mark, a vulnerable period when no lead is safe, OKC led by 7 points. In an attempt to enter the double-digit mark, the defending champs attempted shots beyond the arc. And to grab one such defensive rebound off the miss, Castle battled Hartenstein under the rim. 

The Spurs guard almost had his hands on the ball, but before he could complete it, Isaiah Hartenstein pulled his hair, dropping him to the floor. If not for the clear visibility of the hair pull, it would have been called an offensive foul, but the refs allowed the play to continue. And as an insult to injury, Jared McCain drilled a three-pointer off the second chance.

This sequence went viral online, with a section of fans calling for Hartenstein’s suspension. Given the weightage of the big man’s previous questionable acts in the game, especially the flopping against Victor Wembayama. In a play, Hartenstein appeared to lock his arm up with Wemby under the rim, and flopped to extract a foul.

Importantly, some of the public anger was directed at the officials as well. Apart from these two sequences, the foul on Harrison Barnes after Isaiah Joe flopped right in front of the official. Despite multiple questionable plays, it was Hartenstein’s ugly hair pull on Stephon Castle that dominated the online discourse.

Fans call for Isaiah Hartenstein’s suspension after the ugly hair pull

With the video going viral, a certain section of fans demanded Isaiah Hartenstein’s suspension. On the other hand, they blasted the officials for letting the play go unpunished.

A fan furious with the ugly play wrote, “He’s definitely getting fined for this tomorrow. Should’ve been thrown out of this game. The NBA should suspend him for the next game, but they won’t.” It reflected the growing anger not just at Hartenstein but also at the officiating.

One fan, figuring out the reason behind the big man’s act, wrote, “You dunk on me, I pull your hair.” They considered it a form of revenge for Castle’s earlier play. In the second quarter, the Spurs guard ran up the lane for an outrageous poster on Hartenstein. However, regardless of any reason, the big man has definitely crossed the line, as this could have led to injury.

Another fan directly took his attack to the refs, sharing a screenshot of the ref watching the ugly act right in front of him. They wrote, “The refs are just watching OKC play dirty.”

The complaints about officiating for OKC games aren’t a new debate in the league, especially with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-drawing ability. And a fan perfectly summed up the frustration, writing, “It’s just foul what these guys pull… and equally as foul that they get away with it.”

Moreover, not all fans blamed Hartenstein for the act. One fan wrote, “Cut that mop off, man,” directing the attention toward Stephon Castle’s long hair instead. And to make matters worse, veteran analyst Skip Bayless joined this side of the debate, as he wrote, “Now NBC is crying that Hartenstein is playing too rough with poor Alien … while the Spurs get away with playing football on SGA.”

Now the question is whether the league reviews the play and takes disciplinary action. However, with Victor Wembanyama getting away without a fine or suspension after his hostile elbow on Naz Reid in the semi-final series, it remains a doubt whether the OKC big man will face punishment.