Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks battle.
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The NBA's Finals Game 3 L2M report probably wasn't what Knick fans were expecting.
The NBA’s official review of the final two minutes of Game 3 delivered a clear answer after Knicks coach Mike Brown boldly criticized the game’s officiating in a postgame rant. But the NBA found no incorrect calls or missed calls in San Antonio’s 115-111 Finals victory.
The report’s findings arrive less than 48 hours before Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, where Brown’s comments and the Spurs’ free-throw advantage have become major storylines in the series.
The NBA did issue one mea culpa, however, when on Tuesday NBA head of officiating Monty McCutchen admitted that “a foul was missed on Victor Wembanyama’s first-quarter shove of Jalen Brunson,” according to NBA journalist Marc Stein. McCutchen went on to say that “the league’s review is still ongoing regarding whether the play will be deemed a retroactive flagrant foul,” Stein reported.
The San Antonio Spurs outshot New York 24-8 at the free throw line in the second half of their Game 3 victory — a disparity that certainly contributed to ending the Knicks’ 13-game playoff winning streak and left Brown openly questioning the officiating.
“I never thought I would 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, as quoted by ESPN‘s Vincent Goodwill. “It’s going to lower our odds big time if we play Game 4 and in the second half they get 24 free throw attempts to our eight. Maybe we were fouling. But they fouled, too.”
Brown returned to that theme later in his press conference, saying that he felt “baffled that they only fouled eight in the second half,” according to CBS Sports.
Knicks players did not echo their coach, however.
“That ain’t cost us the game. Turned the ball over. Didn’t execute,” center Karl-Anthony Towns said, as quoted by Goodwill. Jalen Brunson similarly pointed to turnovers rather than officiating. Through three games, the Spurs hold a combined 32-point free throw attempt edge over the Knicks, excluding intentional fouls on Mitchell Robinson, according to Quinn.
L2M Report Claims Zero Officiating Errors
The NBA’s Last Two Minute (L2M) Report covers the closing two minutes of games at or within three points at any stage of that window. It reviews all whistles and material non-calls. A ruling of incorrect officiating requires clear and conclusive video evidence, the same standard the league applies in instant replay reviews.
The Game 3 fourth-quarter window produced 16 plays reviewed and 16 confirmed as correct, according to the NBA’s official L2M Report issued at about 5 p.m. EDT Tuesday. Twelve were Correct Non-Calls. Three were Correct Calls. No incorrect calls. No missed calls, according to the NBA league office.
Among the non-calls confirmed as correct: Towns legally defended Wembanyama on the perimeter twice. Josh Hart cleanly contested a Stephon Castle jump shot. Wembanyama legally challenged a Mikal Bridges attempt. A De’Aaron Fox drive in which Fox’s momentum carried into Towns after the release was reviewed and cleared.
The three Correct Calls confirmed a Wembanyama shooting foul on OG Anunoby at the 0:59 mark, a Jalen Brunson take foul on Stephon Castle at 6.8 seconds, and an out-of-bounds ruling at 2.2 seconds that correctly awarded possession to New York.
Nick Wright Raises Wembanyama Flagrant Flag
Sports broadcaster Nick Wright noted on social media Tuesday that while the Knicks were fouling heavily in Game 3, the Wembanyama shove on Brunson in the first quarter remained a potential issue.
“I think it’s absolutely on the board that Wemby gets retroactively assessed a Flagrant 1 for the Brunson play,” Wright wrote. “Which would put him at 3 Flagrant Foul points, and one more would result in a suspension.”
Wembanyama finished Game 3 with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals, according to the NBA. Brunson led New York with 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting. OG Anunoby added 28.
Game 4 tips off Wednesday at Madison Square Garden at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.