Finals Game 3 appeared to follow the familiar blueprint. The Knicks erased the Spurs’ early lead and looked to take a 3-0 advantage. Instead, the Spurs flipped the script after halftime and secured a crucial win to keep the series alive. However, the result wasn’t the only aspect that frustrated Knicks head coach Mike Brown.

Speaking after the loss, Brown, in his familiar postgame presser presence, pointed out the glaring officiating disparity in the second half — the massive surge in the Spurs’ free throw attempts.

“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. “I don’t think I complained much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free-throw attempts.”

Above all, he explicitly revealed his fear as the business end of the series approached.

“San Antonio is a great team. It’s going to lower our odds big time, if we play game four and in the second half they get 24 free throw attempts to our eight,” he added. “And maybe we were fouling. Maybe we were fouling, but they fouled too.”

Brown’s comment reignited the postseason officiating debate. The Spurs entered halftime trailing by seven points and came out dramatically increasing their offensive aggression in the second half. 

While they had just 8 free throws in the first half, they piled them up with 24 attempts in the last two quarters. Victor Wembanyama, the offensive anchor, converted six consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter.

Brown was surprised because he didn’t expect such a turnaround in the Finals. However, the recent Finals trend tells a different story. 

*As per Stat Muse

Compared to the 2023 and 2024 Finals, the 2025 Finals marked a noticeable shift in the free-throw trends. Last year, the numbers appeared to have doubled, and the teams with more attempts have won it. The lone exception was the 2024 Celtics, though there were just 8 attempts short of the Mavericks.

Meanwhile, the Spurs’ surge deserves context. Notably, in the Western Conference Finals, they had 111 attempts compared to the OKC’s 94. Especially last night, the Spurs attacked the paint, scoring 44 points in the paint. The most the Spurs have recorded this series.

It could be soft calls, as the fans claim. It may even be the Knicks’ fault, but it’s a dangerous spot for the NY side.

Moreover, given the noticeable shift in the officiating trend and the Spurs’ aggressive intent, Mike Brown’s fear seems reasonable. A repeat of this in Game 4 would even out the series and could dramatically change the direction.

Mike Brown and his criticism of officials isn’t a new occurrence

Throughout his coaching career, Mike Brown has developed a reputation for publicly questioning the officiating. No matter the location. He keeps at it either on the floor or at the presser. He often pays the price for it, too. 

Once, he brought out a laptop to break down the plays for the reporters. The league slapped a $50,000 fine. While many coaches decide to keep their frustrations behind closed doors, Brown has kept them vocal so far in his career.

So, looking at the way history has dealt with this sort of issue, Mike Brown might even get fined once again.

On a separate note, Brown will have to pull up his socks. In the first two games, Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns clamped Wemby from reaching the paint. 

The Spurs have altered the series after Game 3, with Wembanyama spearheading with 32 points. He became the third youngest in NBA history to score 30 points in the Finals.

Last night, the Spurs played with urgency, while the Knicks played not to lose. The team that attacked won. With the series back in contention, New York must rediscover the form that put them in control.