The New York Knicks suffered a 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and officiating became a major talking point after the game, including the disparity in free throws and missed calls.
Several controversial plays occurred throughout the game, with the referees not calling flagrant fouls on either of the extra-physical incidents, both of which happened to Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
There was a shove by the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama that drew plenty of backlash from Knicks fans and critics, as a replay showed the big man pushing Brunson aggressively down by the back of his neck and head.
However, the referees didn’t call a flagrant foul or review the play, bringing scrutiny for what many feel was clearly a missed call. After his team’s loss at Madison Square Garden, Brunson participated in a postgame media session to discuss everything that unfolded in the game.
Read more: Victor Wembanyama Draws Strong Criticism for Game 3 Shove on Jalen Brunson
“Whatever you saw, is what you saw,” Brunson told reporters when asked about the Wemby shove incident.
However, his heat-of-the-moment reaction to Wemby shoving him during the game differed from his calmer, less responsive postgame remarks.
The moment occurred in the first half with Wemby and Brunson tangled up at the top of the lane, and Spurs guard Stephon Castle nearby.
Wemby clearly shoved Brunson down in the replay, with ESPN and ABC commentator Richard Jefferson stunned by what occurred, even mentioning, “That should be a Flagrant 1,” and “Wemby’s laughing about it.”
Brunson popped up to go after the Spurs big man, who appears to crack a smile about it. It also appeared that Brunson complained to the nearby referee, as no call was made against Wemby.
Later in the game, Castle was called for a foul after he plowed through a stationary Brunson, sending him down to the court. The referees reviewed that play, but didn’t determine it was more than a common foul against Castle.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown criticized the officiating, particularly in the second half, mentioning that the Spurs had 24 free throws compared to eight for the Knicks. He said it was something he never thought he would see in an NBA Finals.
Brunson didn’t share his head coach’s sentiments. Much like his teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns, he also agreed his team didn’t play as well as they had during their first two wins in the series.
With that in mind, the next game at Madison Square Garden could be even more intense, as the Spurs try to even the series, and the Knicks try to get one win closer to winning the championship.
The NBA Finals continue with Game 4 on Wednesday, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
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