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The New York Knicks had their 13-game winning streak in these postseasons snapped at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, as the San Antonio Spurs won Game 3, 115-111, to avoid a possible sweep.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown took the time to begin his press conference by complaining about how the game was called by the officials in the second half.
“First of all, I want to make sure I have something clear,” Brown began. “Coach Mitch Johnson and the Spurs. They won the game tonight. They came out and won 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 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“But I will say this: I never thought I would be in the NBA Finals and see one team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half compared to another team’s eight. I don’t think I have much complaint about the officials or the fairness when it comes to free throw attempts.”
Brown continued to talk about how well the Spurs played, but he couldn’t overcome the free throw gap.
SPURS KNICKS SNAP KNICKS WITH GAME 3 VICTORY BEHIND VICTOR WEMBANYAMA’S 32 POINTS
“Maybe we made a mistake,” Brown said. “But they also made a mistake.”
Brown brought up a specific play in which Karl-Anthony Towns got a loose ball rebound under the hoop and, as he shot it, he was hit in the arm while also having the ball out of his hands. No foul was called.
There was another moment, not discussed by Brown, where Victor Wembanyama, who finished with a team-high 32 points, forcefully knocked down Jalen Brunson’s head as they fought for position in the Knicks’ offensive zone. Even though this happened in the first half, no foul was called.
Brown wasn’t trying to make excuses, though. He thought his team was playing stagnant offensively, while “we allowed them to get to the paint, and we 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 the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Brown knew where the story was going to go after his comments, but his players didn’t share the same sentiment. Whether or not to avoid league fines, players like Towns didn’t believe the 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 the thing that got us 13 straight wins,” he said. “That’s how you lose a game. We haven’t done what we’ve been doing for 13 years. [games]. We decided to do something different, and it’s not going to work. Throwing the ball is a clear indication of how you are going to lose the game, especially in the playoffs. »
Brunson even said in his postgame press conference that the Knicks were “committing a lot of fouls and putting them on the line about 30 times.”
The Knicks understand that it was more than free throws that lost them the game. They entered the second half with a seven-point lead and quickly gave it back to Spurs, which Brown highlighted as the difference.
Mike Brown talks with the New York Knicks during a third quarter timeout against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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“I thought San Antonio struck first at the start of the game and at halftime,” he said.
The Knicks will have a chance to redeem themselves Wednesday night in their home building, where they will look to be the first home team to win on their home court in these Finals.
