Knicks' coach cries foul on SGA's free throws after a thriller. Was it truly a bias, or just a tough loss?
Another Oklahoma City Thunder win. Another night of foul and free throw discourse from OKC's opposing fans and head coaches.
The stage was set Wednesday night for a heavily anticipated and much buzzed about match up showcasing two of the best teams in the NBA. The #1 seed in the Western Conference vs the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The defending champions taking on one of the league's most storied franchises. The reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs another All-NBA point guard in Jalen Brunson. Two elite All-Star big men in Chet Holmgren and Karl-Anthony Towns. Elite role players on both sides. The Thunder had won three straight games. The New York Knicks had won three straight games. Madison Square Garden. A gaggle of celebrities sitting courtside. Nationally televised game on ESPN. A possible NBA Finals preview.
And here's the best part: the game lived up to the hype. After OKC took a 15 point lead, the Knicks stormed back with a monster 3rd quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a step-back 3 that put OKC up 7 points with over 1 minute to go. The Knicks had a chance to tie it up with 6 seconds to go. Brunson missed a 3 pointer. The ball bounces to OG Anunoby. He misses an open 3 at the buzzer. Heartbreaking loss for the home Knicks fans. A huge sigh of relief for OKC fans watching at home. Thunder win 103-100.
Absolute thriller of a game. An opinion that I assumed was going to be the overwhelming consensus. Until I checked social media and noticed Knicks fans complaining about free throws. And worse, I started reading Knicks head coach Mike Brown's postgame quotes.
"SGA, he's a tough cover," Brown said of the Thunder superstar. "He does a great job of convincing the referees, probably better than anyone else in the league, that he’s getting hit.”
Hold up.
Gilgeous-Alexander took 6 free throws from shooting fouls. Brunson, too, took 6 free throws from shooting fouls. Despite the implication that one or more of those three fouls against Gilgeous-Alexander was in error, Brown did not challenge any of OKC’s foul calls. The Knicks doubled and trapped Gilgeous-Alexander all game. The entire Knicks defense focused on stopping the MVP. And he still scored 26 points on 9-16 shooting.
It seems like a night where starting and ending the quote at "SGA, he's a tough cover" would have been a more accurate summary.