Victor Wembanyama dominated Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, but met his match in Game 2.The Oklahoma City Thunder will credit Isaiah Hartenstein’s physical performance to dominate the paint, many others have blamed the refs.Hartenstein did the dirty work as the Thunder roared backGettyWemby scored 41 points and grabbed 24 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs took a 1-0 lead in the series.But the Alien was brought crashing back to earth as Hartenstein’s minutes jumped from 12 to 27 once OKC realised that deploying Chet Holmgren with support wasn’t enough.The 28-year-old had 10 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in a 122-113 win — more importantly, he held his fellow center in check with 21-17-6.Hartenstein was called for four fouls — a number which could easily have been doubled to take him off the floor.View Tweet: https://t.co/9CpzDBwtvh“I didn’t think Hartenstein was playable in this series — but if he’s gonna be allowed to maul and grab Wemby like this on every play he should play 48 minutes. This is hilarious,” noted Bill Simmons.Hartenstein also got away with grabbing Stephon Castle’s dreads and hauling him to the hardwood and many fans felt the refs controlled the result by letting the Thunder star do what he wanted.“Actually rigged for okc,” noted one fan.Another blasted: “This warrants suspension. Didn’t think OKC was dirty before, but this is crazy!”“Is the referee just standing there watching this play? Tell me he didn’t see the OKC player pulling the Spurs player’s dreads—or is a foul only called when it’s the other way around? What. A. Shame. This is what the @NBA has become,” a third posted.While Hartenstein took the brunt of criticism, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also came in for some after spending much of the night on the hardwood asking for calls during his 31-point display.Wembanyama was forced to fight for every inch of courtGettyHartenstein was accused of bending the rulesGettyView Tweet: https://t.co/TIbnN0PZAr“SGA is falling down after every shot right now . & Their fans have the nerve to talk about refs,” complained one viewer.What matters is that the series is now tied at 1-1 and set up for a thrilling run of games, starting back in San Antonio Friday.Victor Wembanyama will see more of Isaiah Hartenstein in Game 3The Spurs will need to find a way to get Wembanyama dominating off the offensive glass again.Nine of his 24 rebounds came on the offensive end in Game 1, but he had just five Wednesday as the Thunder won the battle.“He did what he does. I don’t think it was specific to Wembanyama. He played his game tonight,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said of Hartenstein. “That’s a physical brand that you have to deal with around the basket.”Hartenstein is a lock to get more minutes again in Game 3.NBA's GreatestGreatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor WembanyamaBest players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurusMichael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totalsWhether he will get away with as much rough stuff is another matter.Despite what fans think, the NBA wants its stars breaking records and 22-year-old Wemby is going to be the face of the league one day — if he isn’t already.The refs will likely be told to keep a close eye on the battle.If not, the Frenchman may have to rely on his training with the Shaolin monks over the offseason and fight his own battles.Stay up to date with the NBA across all our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET