The NBA admitted Tuesday it missed a foul call on Victor Wembanyama’s first-quarter shove of Jalen Brunson during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. And they are not going to do anything about it.
The league reviewed the play after San Antonio’s 115-111 win at Madison Square Garden and will not upgrade it to a flagrant foul, a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Lorenzo Reyes. This despite NBA head of officiating Monty McCutchen going on ESPN to acknowledge that the officials got it wrong.
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Wembanyama shoved Brunson hard with both hands as Brunson tried to set a screen. Brunson didn’t fall all the way to the floor but he had to brace himself from the push, which drew an immediate reaction from the MSG crowd. Brunson got up and got in Wembanyama’s face before the game moved on.
No foul was called. No review was triggered at the time.
McCutchen addressed the missed call on ESPN’s “NBA Today.”
“Well most certainly, I think we can all agree that a foul was missed on that play. We have a big part of our job is to, on-ball, off-ball exchanges between referees. We did a poor job of that here where we got two people on-ball and we don’t see the screening action. Lots of fighting over screens throughout the game and if we break down in our fundamentals, in even the smallest amounts, we have the opportunity to miss a clear foul, as we missed here.”
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Replays appeared to show Brunson grabbing Wembanyama’s jersey before the shove, which may have factored into the league’s decision not to escalate. Still, Wembanyama’s reaction was to aggressively shove Brunson in the upper back and neck area, sending him toward the floor.
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service patrol outside at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service patrol outside at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
People gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
A heavy police presence is seen outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
An impersonator of U.S. President Donald Trump holds a basketball outside at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
New York Knicks fans wait for actor and comedian Druski, for an event which was cancelled by NYPD, at Washington Square Park ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
US Secret Service agents patrol outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
New York Police Department officers gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Secret Service agents patrol outside Madison Square Garden during Game Three of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks in New York on June 8, 2026.
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
New York Knicks fans and New York Police Department officers gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
People walk near a security fence around Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Concrete barriers arrive by truck to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
People walk near a security fence around Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
A Secret Service sign on a security fence at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service walk the perimeter of a security fence outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service enter through a security fence outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Concrete barriers arrive by truck to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Concrete barriers are taken off a truck at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
A person is interviewed by media next to a security fence outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
After the game, Brunson said it was obvious.
“Whatever you saw is what you saw,” Brunson said to reporters.
The ruling keeps Wembanyama at two flagrant foul points for the postseason, both from his Flagrant 2 ejection against Minnesota in the second round. Had the shove been upgraded to a Flagrant 1, he would have been at three points, one shy of an automatic suspension.
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The contrast with how officials handled a similar moment later in the game was not lost on the Knicks. In the third quarter, with New York leading 71-67, Brunson closed out on Julian Champagnie on a 3-point attempt. Their feet tangled and officials upgraded the contact to a Flagrant 1 on Brunson. Champagnie completed a four-point play, the Spurs cut the deficit to one and went on to win.
San Antonio outshot New York 24-8 at the free throw line in the second half, a gap that left Knicks coach Mike Brown openly questioning the officiating.
“I never thought I would 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.
The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No flagrant foul upgrade for Victor Wembanyama coming from NBA
