The New York Knicks fell in a nail-biting matchup to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, losing just 103-100.

It didn't look that close for most of the game though. New York put together a 40 point third quarter after trailing at the half to take the lead and as the fourth quarter rolled around, the two NBA titans went to battle, with the Thunder clawing their way back before coming away with the three point win. 

Chet Holmgren led the way for the Thunder with 28 points while reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander followed with 26 points, and it was Gilgeous-Alexander's performance, or at least one aspect of it, that stuck out to Knicks head coach Mike Brown the most.

"One of the areas obviously is the free throw line," Brown said (via Jump View). "SGA, he's a tough cover. He does a great job of convincing the referees, probably better than anybody in the league< that he's getting hit. Them shooting 84% from the free throw line compared to our 73% was a factor throughout the course of the game."

Gileous-Alexander was a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe in the game and the Thunder as a whole scored 21-25 in free throws. Comparing that to the Knicks' 16-22 free throw performance and some crucial points are revealed that very well helped the Thunder decide the game. 

Gilgeous-Alexander is obviously a renowned NBA talent and he has the hardware to back it up, but his propensity for drawing fouls has been the outstanding thing that his critics have decried about him in the past. 

It was certainly something that had Brown frustrated at several points in the game and there were times when Brown was even more frustrated that Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't called for fouls of his own, to the point where Brown received a technical foul after arguing the matter with referees.

Earning trips to the free throw line is a crucial part of any players' game, especially for guards, and drawing fouls is itself an art in many ways. 

Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the only notable NBA player criticized for gunning for foul calls, but considering his spotlight, his criticisms are often the loudest. 

To the Thunder's credit, for all the trips they make to the charity stripe as a team, they make them count. The Thunder have the second bets free throw percentage of any team in the NBA at 82.1%, behind only the Los Angeles Clippers. 

It's just one of the many things that the Thunder do right as a team that makes them so formidable, and it's the quality that decided the game between them and the Knicks on Wednesday.