Coach Mike Brown Puts Finals Officiating Under Spotlight After Knicks’ Game 3 Loss

Following the San Antonio Spurs’ victory over the New York Knicks in Game 3 on Monday night, there was no shortage of commentary from Knicks head coach Mike Brown after the game. In the contest in which the Spurs were able to control much of the second half and ultimately cut the series to 2-1 instead of going down 3-0, the free throw numbers were immediately called into question. Brown specifically pointed to the fact that San Antonio attempted 24 free throws in the second half compared to just 8 for New York.

“I never thought I’d be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight," Brown said postgame.

And obviously, in a 24-minute half, that kind of discrepancy is significant. The Knicks lost the second half by 11 points, so when there is a 16-attempt gap at the foul line, resulting in a 14-point swing, it's naturally going to become part of the conversation. There were plenty of other reasons New York could not pull out that victory, including poor offensive execution and the Spurs simply making more plays late, but the whistle is now a very real storyline in this series.

That is what makes Game 4 so interesting moving forward. The Knicks still lead the series 2-1, but now the officiating is under the microscope, and every whistle is going to be watched even more closely. It will also be worth watching which team is able to be more physical without paying for it, because that clearly became a major factor in Game 3.

And who knows how different this series could feel depending on what happens next. If the Knicks win Game 4, they are up 3-1 and right back in full control. But if the Spurs win again and tie the series heading back to San Antonio, then this becomes a completely different Finals, and Mike Brown’s postgame comments will only become a bigger part of the conversation.