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Karl-Anthony Towns admits the officiating was not the main reason behind the Game 3 loss

Nairavoice · Jun 9, 2026 · 2 min read

Karl-Anthony Towns admits the officiating was not the main reason behind the Game 3 loss originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The officiating has become a big issue in the NBA Finals after Game 3. The referees did call plenty of fouls on the New York Knicks, especially in the second half. The San Antonio Spurs shot 24 free throws while the Knicks only had eight trips to the charity stripe.

While Knicks head coach Mike Brown has called out the officials, it seems his players are not in tune with that message. They are not blaming the referees for the Game 3 loss, as they want to keep progressing.

Karl-Anthony Towns was not too bothered by the officiating in Game 3

As one of the best players on the team, Karl-Anthony Towns is more focused on his team’s lackluster performance. This was not the same level they showed during Games 1 and 2, which is disheartening for their fans.

Most people at Madison Square Garden expected the Knicks to work hard enough to take a commanding 3-0 lead. That was not the case because the Knicks did not perform at their peak.

MORE: Mike Brown puts the referees on blast after Game 3 loss

While some people will point out the officiating, especially in the second half, Towns and his teammates are more focused on bouncing back. They did not perform well, so they are honing in on that.

Brown did point out that the Knicks also struggled on offense. They were stagnant offensively, which is not something Brown wants to see in a high-stakes stage like the Finals.

“That ain’t cost us the game. We turned the ball over. Didn’t execute, didn’t do what got us 13 straight wins in a row. That’s how you lose a game,” Towns said in his post-game interview after losing in Game 3.

That is a healthy mindset to have because he is not pinning the blame on the officials. The same goes for their leader, Jalen Brunson, who also pointed out that turnovers and fouls cost them the game.

Moving forward, they will want to clean up these problems. They have the advantage in the series at 2-1, but the Spurs will be raring to go to equalize this series at 2-2 ahead of a return to San Antonio.