2026 NBA Finals, Towns on Game 3 loss: “Too many turnovers”

The perfect playoff run of the New York Knicks came to an end in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. After 13 consecutive postseason victories, Mike Brown’s team fell on its home floor to the San Antonio Spurs, who earned a 115-111 win and breathed new life into a series that appeared to be slipping away.

The Spurs attacked from the opening tip, pushing the pace and forcing New York to play from behind for much of the night. Down the stretch, the Texas squad made the decisive plays, avoiding a sweep and securing a crucial victory that guarantees at least a Game 5 back in San Antonio.

Towns won’t make excuses: “Too many turnovers”

After the game, Mike Brown focused much of his attention on the officiating, highlighting the significant disparity in free throws awarded to the two teams during the second half. It was a viewpoint that Karl-Anthony Towns did not share.

Speaking to reporters alongside Josh Hart, the Knicks big man instead chose to focus on his team’s mistakes.

No, that’s not what cost us the game. Turnovers aren’t what helped us win thirteen straight. That’s how you lose a game. We didn’t do the things that helped us win those previous thirteen games, and when you keep giving the ball away to your opponent – especially in the playoffs – this is what happens

Karl-Anthony Towns

The message was clear. The Knicks finished the night with 13 turnovers, one more than in Game 2, and five of them came from Jalen Brunson.

Mike Brown takes aim at the officials after Game 3

Mike Brown’s analysis was very different. The Knicks head coach opened his postgame press conference by giving credit to the Spurs, but he did not hide his frustration with the officiating.

First of all, I want to be clear: the Spurs and Mitch Johnson deserved to win. They came in here and took the game. But I never thought I’d see a Finals game where one team shoots 24 free throws in the second half and the other shoots only 8

Mike Brown

Brown then emphasized how much San Antonio benefited from trips to the free-throw line after halftime.

Maybe we were committing fouls, but they were fouling too. There were situations where they could have called something in our favor as well. I don’t like complaining about referees, but I never thought I’d see something like that in the Finals

Mike Brown

The numbers do show a significant gap. The Spurs attempted 32 free throws overall, including 24 in the second half alone. The Knicks, meanwhile, finished with 22 attempts total, just 8 of them after halftime.

San Antonio scored 20 points from the foul line in the second half, a figure that played a major role in the 58 points the team scored over the final two quarters.

In a game decided by only four points, every detail carries enormous weight. For Brown, the disparity in free-throw attempts was a decisive factor. For Towns, however, the real issue was New York’s execution and ball security.

Regardless of the controversy, the Knicks know they cannot afford to lose any more ground. Game 4 represents a pivotal moment in the series: a victory would put New York ahead 3-1 and firmly back in control of the NBA Finals.

For the Knicks, that means putting the officiating debate behind them and rediscovering the consistency that fueled their remarkable 13-game playoff winning streak. Game 4 will reveal a great deal about Mike Brown’s team and its ability to respond under pressure.