Mike Brown expresses frustration with referees regarding free-throw difference in Game 3

Mike Brown Criticizes Officiating After Knicks’ Loss

Mike Brown didn’t hold back. After the Knicks fell to the Spurs, 115-111, in Game 3 of the Finals at Madison Square Garden—shrinking their series lead to 2-1—he quickly turned his attention to the referees.

“It’s surprising to see a team shoot 24 free throws in the second half against our eight,” Brown remarked. “I mean, San Antonio is a fantastic team, no doubt. But if we go into Game 4 and see a repeat of 24 free throws to our eight, well, it won’t be pretty. Sure, we may have fouled, but… so did they.”

The Spurs, once again, brought an aggressive style, aiming to challenge Jalen Brunson and the rest of the Knicks physically. In the first quarter, Victor Wembanyama clearly made contact with Brunson’s head without any foul being called.

Brown’s frustration was evident. “It’s not something you typically expect in the NBA Finals,” he said. “It’s tough to compete against a strong team like that. If we look past the fouls and free throw count, I truly think things should have felt a bit more balanced. I’m not someone who complains often… We may have had our share of fouls, but they did as well, and that doesn’t seem to reflect in the stats.”

Interestingly, the Knicks incurred a technical foul through Josh Hart and a flagrant from Brunson, even though several moments arose where similar calls could have been made against the Spurs.

Karl-Anthony Towns, while acknowledging his coach’s concerns, had a slightly different take. “Refereeing isn’t going to determine the outcome for us,” he stated. “We lost control of the ball, didn’t execute well, and strayed from what led to our success. We changed our approach, and it backfired.”

The game saw the Knicks penalized with three fouls within the first minute of the fourth quarter, with another called at 8:10 remaining. Meanwhile, the Spurs capitalized, making all 10 of their free throw attempts in the final quarter. They also outscored the Knicks in the third quarter, overcoming a seven-point halftime deficit.

“If we find ourselves in Game 4 facing a similar foul disparity—like 24-8—that’s going to be a real challenge,” Brown noted. “There are definitely areas we need to improve, but let’s hope that the fouls are more evenly distributed next time. This was a close game… a one-possession game at that. It’s tough to recover from.”