NEW YORK — The message was undeniable.
Victor Wembanyama, sprawled on the court after Mitchell Robinson cheap-shotted him in the throat with an elbow, stared at Robinson and pointed repeatedly to his temple. And while he did it, Wembanyama was smiling.
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I’m in your head.
The New York Knicks completely unraveled in the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals Wednesday, June 10 and allowed frustrations with officiating to poison their mindset.
Arguably, this started in the moments after Game 3 ended, when Knicks coach Mike Brown opened his postgame press conference whining about officiating and a free throw discrepancy. Rather than galvanize the Knicks, that griping mentality spilled over into Game 4. And it contributed to New York’s overall undisciplined play.
All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has become an essential piece of New York’s offensive operation, committed two fouls in the first 1:02 of the game. The second was wholly unnecessary, when he was driving to the hoop and had a step on Wembanyama, but pinned Wembanyama’s arm to his body.
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There was the Robinson elbow, an eventual flagrant foul 1, which came after Wembanyama worked Robinson in the post to score a scoop lay-in. Wembanyama jawed at Robinson as both players made their way up the floor until Robinson’s frustrations boiled over.
Later in the second quarter, backup guard Jose Alvarado found himself needing to box out Wembanyama — giving up 16 inches in height — before he stumbled onto the court. As he got up, Alvarado needlessly hooked one of Wembanyama’s thighs. It resulted in an and-1 foul that tacked on a free throw to a made De’Aaron Fox 3.
It was a masterclass of self-sabotage, and it seeped into New York’s aggression, execution and overall disposition.
It’s tough enough to play in the NBA Finals, especially against an up-and-coming team with a singular and generational talent like Wembanyama. Yet, New York managed to manufacture a narrative that it was also playing against the officials. That’s a recipe for ruin.
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The Knicks shot 29.4% in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, the Knicks had committed 7 turnovers — compared to just 2 by San Antonio — yielding to a -11 differential in points off turnovers. On defense, New York was all over the place and allowed the Spurs to lace 14-of-26 attempts (53.8%) from beyond the arc, setting the record for most 3-pointers in a half in NBA Finals history.
Earlier this week, before Game 3 tipped off, this city was electric. Fans were downright jubilant. The only question here concerned whether it would be a sweep or if the Spurs could find a way to extend the series.
But now, facing a 27-point deficit at the half, the Knicks have ceded all momentum in the NBA Finals, with the series turning back to San Antonio for Game 5 Saturday, June 13.
Forget the sweep and the parade. The Knicks now need to save the series. And the only way they can do that is with a semblance of composure.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks analysis as Spurs surge to big lead in NBA Finals Game 4
