The main story of Game 3 of the NBA Finals was the San Antonio Spurs' superb bounce-back performance. They now have a win on the board as the series is 2-1 in the New York Knicks' favor.
It was a winnable game for the Knicks, but it seems head coach Mike Brown is pointing to the officiating as a reason behind the loss. Of course, he credits the Spurs, but he was befuddled by the referees.
Mike Brown points to the officiating as a big problem for the Knicks in Game 3
The Spurs shot 32 free throws in Game 3 in comparison to the Knicks' 22. It is a large discrepancy, especially in the second half. The Knicks only had eight free-throw attempts in the second half, which is a far cry from the Spurs' 24.
It was a lopsided affair in terms of free-throw shooting in the second half. While some may minimize it, that made a major impact on the game, which is what Brown is pointing out.
MORE: The Spurs have cut their NBA Finals deficit in Game 3 against the Knicks
He went on a five-minute tirade about the officiating, pointing out that it did change the game. Of course, he always made sure to credit the Spurs' hard work and success, but the referees did make an impact.
"I never thought I'd be in an NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free-throw attempts in the second to another team's eight. I don't complain much about the officials," Coach Brown said in his post-game interview after Game 3.
"San Antonio is a great team, it's gonna lower our odds big time if in Game 4, and in the second half they get 24 free throws in the second half to our eight. Maybe we were fouling, but they were fouling too."
This will be a major moment for this series because it has been a physical NBA Finals. The refs have let the teams play for the most part, but the free-throw attempts increased in Game 3, which will be a major factor moving forward, especially when Brown has now addressed it.
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