Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks works.
Getty
Victor Wembanyama (C) has cleared the NBA's punishment decision after his shove of Jalen Brunson (L).
Victor Wembanyama received the NBA’s ruling Tuesday after the San Antonio Spurs star’s shove on Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks became one of the most-discussed moments from the Knicks’ NBA Finals series.
The league’s decision arrives as tensions continue to rise between New York and San Antonio, with every Finals incident drawing heightened scrutiny and debate.
The ruling? Wembanyama gets away with it. No fine, no suspension, no retroactive flagrant foul upgrade. Wembanyama stays at two flagrant foul points for the postseason, one clear of the suspension threshold Knicks fans desperately wanted triggered.
Shams Charania
No flagrant upgrade on the uncalled foul of Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama to Knicks’ Jalen Brunson on Monday night, a league spokesperson tells ESPN. Wembanyama will stay at two flagrant points in postseason.
Wembanyama’s Game 3 Shove on Brunson Goes Unpunished
The shove happened with roughly five minutes left in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Brunson was attempting to set a screen near the top of the key when Wembanyama used his left arm to send Brunson stumbling to the floor by the back of his neck. No whistle was blown. Wembanyama was seen smiling as Brunson jumped up and got in his face.
The Spurs won 115-111, cutting the New York Knicks’ series lead to 2-1. Wembanyama finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Brunson matched him with 32 on 11-of-25 shooting and drew seven free throw attempts.
The league’s head of officiating, Monty McCutchen, appeared on ESPN and acknowledged the officials got it wrong in real time. “I think we can all agree that a foul was missed on that play,” McCutchen said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated. “A big part of our job is on-ball, off-ball exchanges between referees. We did a poor job of that here.”
That admission made the decision to issue no further discipline land harder for fans rewatching the tape.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported the ruling on X, noting Wembanyama would remain at two flagrant points with no upgrade. ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed no flagrant upgrade, fine or suspension would follow.
Knicks Fans Erupt Over the Spurs Star’s No-Call
Social media had been running at full heat before the ruling landed.
WFAN host Lori Rubinson had been direct the night before. “@NBA should be embarrassed when they see replays of what Wemby just did shoving Brunson down and laughing and no foul call,” Rubinson posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Credit to Brunson for not slugging him back. I don’t know how you miss something that blatant between the 2 biggest stars.”
“Complete joke to protect TV ratings and their golden child,” the X account Knicks Muse posted, while @SlightlyKnicks added, “Knicks have no choice but to get dirty now. League had the chance to make this right but there opening pandora box not enforcing the rules. If this series starts to get out of hand and players start getting hurt it will be the @NBA fault.”
WFAN’s Anthony Gallo catalogued the pattern. “Alvarado, Brunson, Hart. 3 clear by the rules Flagrant fouls not called on Wemby,” Gallo posted. “At some point something’s got to give.”
“Don’t agree with this. Just like I didn’t agree with him not getting a fine with his flagrant 2 for the Naz elbow,” wrote The Athletic NBA reporter Jon Krawczynski.
“What a joke. Brunson gets a flagrant for being in the shooter’s landing zone. Wemby does the same thing to Josh Hart, and throws Brunson to the floor by the back of his neck, and gets nothing,” WTEN sports anchor Griffin Haas wrote.
“If I’m the Knicks, I’m taking note of this and responding accordingly,” wrote Minnesota Star Tribune NBA reporter Chris Hine.
“So Brunson barely steps in the landing zone of a player and gets a flagrant but Wembanyama is allowed to shove Brunson at the neck. Make it make sense,” @SteveNovakBurner posted.
@KnicksMemes offered the sharpest sarcasm. “Bro might knee KAT in the nuts tomorrow to see what he can get away with.” Multiple accounts invoked Draymond Green, noting Green received a retroactive flagrant for far less visible contact.
Brunson kept it brief postgame. “Whatever you saw is what you saw,” he said, according to ESPN.
Game 4 tips off Wednesday, June 10, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Wembanyama, unpunished, will be on the floor.