Historic outburst from the Knicks coach against the referees: "I never thought this could happen in a Finals"
Mike Brown heavily complained about the difference in fouls in favor of the Spurs in the second half: 24-8
The defeat of the New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs in the third game of the NBA Finals not only raised concerns about the outcome but also triggered a strong reaction from Mike Brown against the officiating.
Right after facing the media at Madison Square Garden, the New York coach decided to directly address what he perceived as a clear imbalance in the officiating criteria. The main reason cited was the difference in free throws during the second half, with the Spurs attempting 24 compared to just 8 for the Knicks in a game that ended with a 115-111 Texan victory.
"I never thought I'd be in an NBA Finals and witness a team shooting 24 free throws in one half while the other only shot eight," Brown stated. "I don't consider myself someone who complains much about referees or free throw differentials."
The coach, appearing in his sixth NBA Finals with a fourth different franchise, acknowledged San Antonio's merit and admitted that his team did not perform at the level shown in the first two games of the series. However, he insisted that the free throw difference was hard to comprehend.
"There were opportunities to call fouls and at least attempt to balance the free throws. We didn't play well and San Antonio was fantastic. There were many things we didn't do as we did in the first two games. But to see a 24-8 in free throws during the second half is very hard to overcome when facing a great team," he explained.
Brown's Complaint in the Finals
Brown also pointed out a specific incident that occurred with two and a half minutes remaining. With the Spurs leading 108-102, Jalen Brunson found Karl-Anthony Towns under the basket after an inbound pass. Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox quickly closed the gap, and according to the Knicks' coach, Fox hit Towns' arm without the referees calling a foul.
He also didn't forget an earlier action where Wembanyama pushed Brunson during the first quarter without receiving a penalty.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rajada histórica del técnico de los Knicks contra los árbitros: "Nunca pensé que esto podía pasar en unas Finales
