Victor Wembanyama pushed Jalen Brunson to the court during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but no foul was called on the play.
Victor Wembanyama’s physical play drew fresh attention during Game 3 of the NBA Finals after the San Antonio Spurs center pushed New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson to the court in the first half at Madison Square Garden, with no foul called on the sequence.
The play came as Brunson was guarding Wembanyama near the free throw line. Wembanyama put a hand on the back of Brunson’s head and forced him down while the Knicks retained possession, according to Fox News Digital’s account of the game.
Brunson quickly confronted Wembanyama after getting up. The Spurs star appeared to smile before play moved on, the report said.
The non-call stood out because it followed another disputed physical moment involving Wembanyama earlier in the series. In Game 2, Knicks guard Jose Alvarado was trying to box out Wembanyama when the Spurs center wrapped him up and threw him away from the play. No foul was called in that instance, either.
The sequence in Game 3 added another flashpoint to a series already defined in part by San Antonio’s size and physicality. Wembanyama, listed at 7-foot-4, has been central to the Spurs’ matchup advantages, while Brunson has remained the Knicks’ primary offensive engine.
San Antonio opened Game 3 with a strong first quarter, leading 33-22, before New York answered with a second-quarter surge and took a seven-point lead into halftime. Brunson had 15 points, three assists and one rebound at the break on 5-of-11 shooting. Wembanyama also had 15 points at halftime, shooting 6-of-10 with four rebounds and three assists.
The stakes were significant for both teams. The Spurs were trying to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole in the best-of-seven series, while the Knicks were trying to protect their series momentum at home and move closer to a possible sweep opportunity in Game 4.
The league had not announced any immediate discipline or review of the Wembanyama-Brunson play in the captured report. The next point of attention is whether the NBA addresses the sequence after Game 3, as it did with a separate Game 2 incident when Mitchell Robinson’s technical foul was later rescinded after review.
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