It didn’t take long for Chris Russo to go after Victor Wembanyama.
During “First Take” on Wednesday morning, “Mad Dog” ripped into the Spurs’ young superstar for shoving Jalen Brunson in Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night in what he described as a “dirty play.”
“This was out of line,” Russo said. “This I don’t like. Brunson did nothing wrong and a very good job of avoiding a technical in this spot.”
Russo’s reaction comes after Wembanyama wasn’t assessed a flagrant foul for shoving Brunson in the back of the head with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter of Monday’s game.
Brunson tried setting a screen on the 7-foot-4 big man near the free-throw line, and once Wembanyama turned around, he shoved Brunson to the ground.
Despite immediate protests from the Knicks, no foul was called on the play.
Even after NBA senior vice president of referee development and training Monty McCutchen told ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Tuesday that at least a normal foul should’ve been called, the league still decided not to give Wembanyama a flagrant foul.
“Let’s take it easy if you’re the Spurs. You’re 2-1 down on the road and still have to win a road game,” Russo added. “The idea now that you’re going to beat them four in a row, Wembanyama’s going to show how tough he is … bring it down. Don’t rile ’em up.”
“And now you have the Knicks all annoyed now because they go and look at the highlights and say the NBA should’ve said it was a flagrant foul … you’re giving the Knicks a lot of juice tonight. And that’s not what San Antonio needed to do.”
Victor Wembanyama shoves Jalen Brunson during Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night. Wembanyama wasn’t assessed a flagrant foul for the play.
With no flagrant foul assessed, Wembanyama remains at two flagrant points this postseason following an ejection in the second round against the Timberwolves for an elbow on Naz Reid.
Four flagrant points trigger a suspension, so if the referees called a Flagrant 2, Wembanyama would’ve missed a game.
After beating the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3, Wembanyama and the Spurs can tie the series at two games apiece Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
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Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
