Victor Wembanyama's flagrant foul a turning point in Knicks' Game 4 comeback win

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Jun 10, 2026

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NEW YORK — In the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks tried to take matters into their own hands.

The NBA had declined to retroactively assess Victor Wembanyama with a flagrant foul for his Game 3 shove of Jalen Brunson, despite its head of officiating admitting the refs missed the call.

“He got away with one,” Knicks guard Jose Alvarado said Tuesday. “That will be the last one.”

Mitchell Robinson and Alvarado then both delivered unnecessary, hard fouls on Wembanyama during a disastrous first half on Wednesday, helping the Spurs build a 29-point lead less than 21 minutes into the game.

But in the end, it was Wembanyama’s hard foul that turned the game around.

His flagrant foul on Karl-Anthony Towns in Wednesday’s third quarter kicked off an incredible Knicks comeback, resulting in an all-time-dramatic 107-106 win at Madison Square Garden to give them a 3-1 lead in the series.

The Spurs led 81-52 when Wembanyama caught Towns with an elbow with 9:27 left in the third quarter. A review deemed the contact worthy of a flagrant 1 foul.

That kicked off a 13-0 run by the Knicks, who continued to chip away from there.

In the fourth, Wembanyama missed a pair of free throws with 1:47 left, failing to add to what was then a one-point Spurs lead.

And on the Knicks’ final possession, with the Knicks still down by one, a deep Brunson 3-point attempt pulled Wembanyama away from the basket. Brunson missed, but Anunoby came flying in for a tip-in lay-up, giving the Knicks a 107-106 lead with 1.2 seconds to go.

The Spurs were unable to get a shot off after that.

Knicks fans had greeted Wembanyama on Wednesday with hearty boos, acknowledging his rise as a New York sports villain.

That was the result of Wembanyama shoving Brunson to the ground in the first quarter of Monday night’s Game 3 after the two got tangled up on a Knicks offensive possession.

Brunson was clearly irate, jawing at Wembanyama as he got off the ground.

“Whatever you saw is what you saw,” Brunson said afterward.

The NBA declined, however, to retroactively assess Wembanyama a flagrant foul, which was a decision with consequences.

Wembanyama was ejected from a Western Conference semifinals game for a flagrant 2 foul in which he elbowed Minnesota’s Naz Reid in the neck.

That gave Wembanyama two “flagrant points” this postseason. Players are subject to a one-game suspension once they receive four flagrant points in a playoff run.

He now has three flagrant points after Wednesday’s call.

Robinson was assessed a flagrant 1 foul with 41.7 seconds left in the first quarter when he shoved Wembanyama in the neck — and to the ground — as the Knicks got back on offense.

Wembanyama had appeared to provoke Robinson with trash talk after scoring against him on the Spurs’ previous possession.

After Wembanyama hit the ground, he clapped at Robinson and appeared to say with a sheepish grin, “I’m in your head, boy.”

That set up a four-point possession for San Antonio, as Wembanyama made both free throws and Devin Vassell added a jumper, giving the Spurs a 41-21 lead.

But that wasn’t all. Seventy-five seconds into the second quarter, the 6-foot Alvarado got switched onto the 7-4 Wembanyama beneath the basket and fell down as he fought for possession.

Upon getting up, Alvarado tackled Wembanyama’s right leg, sending the Spurs center to the ground.

All of that played out away from the ball as De’Aaron Fox drilled a 3-pointer. Alvarado was reviewed for a flagrant, and while the refs ultimately deemed it a common foul, Wembanyama was awarded a free-throw attempt, which he made.

That put the Spurs up, 48-25, with 10:45 left in the second quarter.

Robinson played extended minutes Wednesday because starting center Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two fouls in the first 62 seconds of the game, putting the Knicks’ entire game plan up in flames.

But the Knicks outscored the Spurs 58-30 after halftime, putting them one win away from a championship.

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