Knicks coach Mike Brown questioned the second-half foul calls after San Antonio beat New York 115-111 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
New York Knicks coach Mike Brown challenged the officiating after San Antonio beat the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, pointing to a major second-half free throw disparity in a loss that ended New York’s 13-game playoff winning streak.
Brown opened his postgame news conference by crediting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and San Antonio for winning the game, then turned to the number that bothered him most: the Spurs attempted 24 free throws in the second half, compared with eight for the Knicks.
“I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight,” Brown said, according to Fox News Digital. “I don’t think I complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free throw attempts.”
Brown said he was not trying to take away from San Antonio’s performance, but added, “Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.” He also cited a play involving Karl-Anthony Towns under the basket, saying Towns was hit on the arm while attempting a shot after securing a loose-ball rebound, with no foul called.
The loss shifted momentum in a series New York had been positioned to tighten its grip on. San Antonio avoided a potential sweep, with Victor Wembanyama scoring a team-high 32 points. The Knicks had taken a seven-point lead into the second half before the Spurs responded quickly after halftime.
Brown also acknowledged problems beyond the whistle. He said the Knicks’ offense became stagnant and that New York allowed San Antonio to reach the paint while failing to handle defensive details.
Knicks players were more direct in placing responsibility on their own play. Towns said the free throw gap did not cost New York the game, pointing instead to turnovers and poor execution.
“Turned the ball over. Didn’t execute. Didn’t do what got us 13 straight wins in a row,” Towns said. “That’s how you lose a game.”
Jalen Brunson also said the Knicks were fouling often and put San Antonio at the line repeatedly.
The teams are scheduled to remain at Madison Square Garden for the next game Wednesday night, when the Knicks will try to respond at home after their first playoff loss in 14 games.
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