A strong message came from Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson during Wednesday night’s Game 1 win over the Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals.
“He told me to shut the hell up and he told the rest of the team to be quiet and leave the officials alone,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after the 105-95 win.
“It was great of him because we were all kind of losing our mind.”
Those losing their minds included the players.
Rick Brunson’s son, Jalen, was seen screaming, “That’s a foul, Scott!” at official Scott Foster in the first quarter. He erupted again toward the end of the first half after San Antonio’s big man, Luke Kornet, landed on his ankle after he fell to the ground.
After the final buzzer, Brunson went right up to Foster, although he seemed to point out someone in the crowd. His teammate Jose Alvarado soon came over, trying to pull him away several times.
The Knicks wound up outscoring the Spurs 29-19 in the fourth quarter to clinch the Game 1 road win.
Brunson ended the night with a team-high 30 points, even after taking a hit to his knee in the first quarter.
Brown’s postgame comments imply the team’s dissatisfaction with the night’s officiating without risking a potential fine.
While both teams committed 23 fouls, the Spurs attempted seven more free throws.
“We were all bitching too much at the officials,” he said. “Rick Brunson was great.”
It remains to be seen whether the Knicks continue pulling back on officials for the remainder of the series.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Friday at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center.
