SAN ANTONIO — It’s unusual for Jalen Brunson to be so visibly upset.
There was a reason for it. And the league has gotten involved.
The NBA is investigating two fans who allegedly made profane comments toward Brunson, The Post confirmed, at the end of the Knicks’ 105-95 Game 1 win over the Spurs on Wednesday night at Frost Bank Arena.
Jalen Brunson speaks with referee Scott Foster during an interaction with a fan in the fourth quarter of Game 1 on June 3, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostAs OG Anunoby shot free throws with 20.6 seconds left in the game, Brunson was seen talking with fans near the sideline. After the game, Brunson spoke with referee Scott Foster near the sideline and motioned toward the crowd.
He exchanged a few more words with the fans before Jose Alvarado and other Knicks teammates pulled him away.
A day later, he had no interest in revisiting it.
“I’m all good about talking about that,” Brunson said Thursday when asked if something was said that crossed the line. “All good.”
Video that went viral on social media seemed to indicate that a woman sitting courtside was the culprit with whom Brunson had the exchange.
But that is not who the league believes was involved and is investigating, according to The Post’s Stefan Bondy. They are instead investigating a man and one other person.
“I didn’t even see what happened,” Josh Hart said Thursday. “I heard something about it. I didn’t really see it. I don’t know. He’s always pretty calm, pretty composed. I’m sure the fans probably said something crazy to kind of get him going. I wish I could answer that a little bit better, but I didn’t see the interaction.”
Brunson often hears criticism from opposing fans or players that he foul-baits.
The numbers don’t back that up, though — he is averaging 6.1 free-throw attempts per game this postseason, 17th among all players in the playoffs.
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On Wednesday, he scored 30 points and took just four free throws.
Stephon Castle, when asked to compare Brunson to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has a reputation for drawing fouls, agreed that the criticism is not rooted in fact.
“Mostly it’s angles, trying to get to his spots, not really trying to draw fouls as much,” Castle said Thursday. “But trying to get to his midrange and get to spots where he likes.”
Dylan Harper had been cooking the Knicks, but then curiously only played four minutes in the fourth quarter and was on the bench in closing time.
“There was definitely consideration [to put him back in], Dylan had a heck of a game, was playing very well,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “That comes when you have a lot of good players, those decisions. Dylan did not finish the game by nothing he did or did not do. It was a decision I made. I understand that there would be logic in having Dylan in that group. I thought that group that was out there did some things during that stretch, and that’s what I rolled with.”
