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The New York Knicks had their 13-game playoff winning streak snapped at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, when the San Antonio Spurs took Game 3, 115-111, to avoid a potential sweep.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown took the time to begin his press conference with a complaint he had about how the referees called the game in the second half.
“First of all, I want to make sure I’m clear on something,” Brown began. “Coach Mitch Johnson and the Spurs. They won the game tonight. They came and took the game.
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Head coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks reacts during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“But I will say this: I never thought I’d be in the NBA Finals and see one team make 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight. I don’t think I’d complain much about the referees or the fairness when it comes to free throw attempts.”
Brown went on to say how well the Spurs played, but couldn’t overcome the free throw discrepancy.
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“Maybe we were fouling,” Brown said. “But they also committed fouls.”
Brown mentioned a specific play where Karl-Anthony Towns secured a loose ball rebound under the rim and, as he shot it, he was hit on the arm and at the same time the ball was knocked out of his hands. No foul was called.
There was another moment, not mentioned by Brown, where Victor Wembanyama, who finished with a team-high 32 points, took a hard shot at Jalen Brunson’s head as they battled for position in the Knicks’ offensive zone. Although this occurred in the first half, no foul was called.
Brown wasn’t trying to make excuses, though. He felt his team played stagnant offensively, while “we let them get to the paint and didn’t pay attention to the details of what we’re supposed to do defensively.”
Head coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks watches during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Brown knew where the story would go after his comments, but his players didn’t share the same sentiment. Whether to avoid league fines or not, players like Towns didn’t believe that 24-8 free throw attempts in the second half “cost us the game.”
“I turned the ball over. I didn’t execute. I didn’t do what gave us 13 straight wins,” he said. “That’s how you lose a game. We didn’t do what we’ve been doing for 13 [games]. We decided to do something different and it’s not going to work. “Throwing the ball is a clear sign that you are going to lose the game, especially in the playoffs.”
Brunson even said during his postgame press conference that the Knicks “were fouling a lot and got put on the line about 30 times.”
The Knicks understand that it was more than just the free throws that caused them to lose the game. They entered the second half with a seven-point lead and quickly gave it back to the Spurs, something Brown pointed to as a difference-maker.
Mike Brown talks to the New York Knicks during a timeout in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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“I thought about San Antonio, they struck first at the beginning of the game and first at halftime,” he said.
The Knicks will have the opportunity to redeem themselves on Wednesday night in their building, where they will seek to be the first home team in these Finals to win on their home court.
