The NBA has officially reviewed Victor Wembanyama’s controversial shove to Jalen Brunson’s head during Game 3 and decided not to elevate the play to a flagrant foul. The ruling immediately sparked debate across the basketball world, and among the most vocal critics was sports personality Nick Wright.
“If Brunson hadn’t kept his cool and had run up on Wemby, the refs would’ve snap called a tech on Jalen, reviewed the play & 100% have given Wemby a flagrant. Instead, Brunson was a pro and Wemby gets to completely skate on it. Doesn’t seem right to me,” Wright tweeted.
The play itself happened during a physical battle near the top of the key, where Wembanyama forcefully shoved Brunson in the upper back and neck area while fighting for position. The contact sent Brunson to the floor, triggering an immediate reaction from the Knicks guard, who got up and confronted Wembanyama as play continued. However, the Spurs star appeared to brush off the confrontation with a lighthearted reaction
The decision not to upgrade the foul also carries competitive implications for the Spurs, as players are automatically suspended for one game once they accumulate three flagrant foul points in the postseason. Wembanyama already entered the Finals with two points following a previous Flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Naz Reid in the neck during the Western Conference Semifinals. Avoiding another upgrade keeps him available for the Spurs as the series continues.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama’s postseason performance remains historic, as he is averaging 29.0 points per game in the NBA Finals, a mark that ranks as the fifth-highest scoring average in Finals history. That places him ahead of several all-time great performances, including Shaquille O’Neal (28.83 PPG), LeBron James (28.40 PPG), Stephen Curry (27.29 PPG), and Kobe Bryant (25.32 PPG).
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