Knicks head coach Mike Brown voiced strong criticism of the officials following what he described as uneven foul calls during New York’s 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA finals. The Spurs attempted 24 free throws compared with the Knicks’ eight during the second half at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Fourteen of those attempts occurred in the third quarter alone, while New York had only three. Tensions rose in the fourth period when the Knicks were called for three fouls in the first 64 seconds, sending them into the bonus within three minutes. Brown addressed the officiating at the start of his postgame remarks and returned to the subject repeatedly. The teams are scheduled to play Game 4 in New York on Wednesday. Brown stated he rarely complains but found the calls surprising in a finals setting. He credited San Antonio for the victory while arguing that the free-throw disparity made the outcome harder to overcome. He noted that officials explained each call but maintained both teams committed fouls. Brown warned that a similar imbalance in Game 4 would severely hinder New York’s chances. He also pointed to turnovers, slow starts in each half, and defensive lapses as areas the Knicks must improve. Victor Wembanyama scored 32 points for the Spurs and attempted nine free throws, matching Jalen Brunson’s total. A non-call involving Wembanyama drew online reaction from Knicks supporters. Brunson declined to comment directly on the play. Across the series the Spurs have averaged more free-throw attempts than New York. Several disputed calls influenced momentum in Game 3. Knicks players focused instead on their 13 turnovers, which led to 21 Spurs points. Karl-Anthony Towns and Brunson both emphasized execution and ball security as the main reasons for the defeat.
