The New York Knicks missed a golden opportunity to take full control of the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday night, as they suffered a 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3. However, after this game, one of the main talking points revolved around a cheap shot that Victor Wembanyama appeared to take at Jalen Brunson.
Early in this game, Wembanyama and Brunson got tied up with each other, which led to Wembanyama shoving Brunson off of him. No foul was called on Wembanyama, which unsurprisingly made Knicks fans upset. Brunson’s teammates also weren’t too happy with how things unfolded, as Jose Alvarado issued a stern warning to Wembanyama after this game.
Jose Alvarado Doesn’t Hold Back on Victor Wembanyama
Through the first three games of the Finals, the Knicks have done a good job at making life difficult for Wembanyama, no matter who is matched up with him. Getting physical with Wembanyama is the key to slowing him down, and while he’s going to get his points no matter what happens, New York hasn’t been afraid to mix it up with him.
Midway through the first quarter, Brunson found himself on Wembanyama at the free-throw line, and he appeared to grab a chunk of his jersey. Wembanyama responded by shoving Brunson in the head, with no foul being called. Brunson took exception to this move by Wembanyama and confronted him, but cooler heads quickly prevailed.
This incident showed how this series is quickly becoming quite chippy, and the Knicks were not happy with Wembanyama’s dirty play. While they didn’t exactly seek retaliation immediately, Alvarado made it clear when discussing this incident that if Wembanyama tries to pull something similar in the future, New York isn’t going to let him get away with it.
“I think that’s not basketball,” Alvarado said of Wembanyama and Brunson’s skirmish. “That’s something that they gotta look at. But he got away with one. That’ll be the last one.”
Knicks Turn the Page to Wildly Important Game 4 Matchup
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The Knicks didn’t play their best basketball in Game 3, but they still hold a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4. If New York can pick up a victory in Game 4 in front of its home fans, it will go a long way towards wrapping this series up. The Spurs made it clear, though, that they aren’t going to go down easily, and in the blink of an eye, they have made this series very interesting.
With so much on the line, tempers are going to flare on the court, and that will likely only increase the longer this series goes on. The Knicks have done a good job inflicting their will on the Spurs to this point, but in Game 3 at least, their opponent punched back. It will be up to New York to respond in Game 4, and based on Alvarado’s comments, it sounds like this team is going to come out swinging.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Knicks’ Jose Alvarado Sends Warning to Victor Wembanyama Over Jalen Brunson Dust Up appeared first on HEAVY.