The game between the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder ended with a narrow 103-100 loss for New York, but most of the postgame attention shifted to the officiating.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown didn’t hide his frustration over an incident in the first quarter that, in his view, could have changed the course of the game.

The Gilgeous-Alexander-Brunson contact that sparked debate

With 1:57 left in the first quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove toward the basket and made contact with Jalen Brunson, who went to the floor while the Thunder star was preparing to finish at the rim.

For Brown, the contact was obvious and should have been called as Gilgeous-Alexander’s third personal foul. Instead, the officials let play continue, sparking protests from the Knicks bench and resulting in Brown’s first technical foul of the season.

After the game, the coach addressed the moment bluntly:

SGA is an incredibly tough player to guard and does a tremendous job convincing referees that he’s getting hit. Probably better than anyone else in the league

Mike Brown

Brown’s stance: “It should’ve been an offensive foul”

Brown returned to the play later, explaining why he believes it was a decisive moment:

Jalen was there, he got set, and he basically ran right over him. It was the exact same call they made against OG Anunoby a little earlier. I don’t understand why that one was a no-call

Mike Brown

According to the Knicks head coach, the decision could have completely changed the situation:

That should have been his third foul. The basket shouldn’t have counted and the ball should have come back to us. Jalen gets in front, puts his body on the line, and the guys are fighting to win the game. I really didn’t like that one

Mike Brown

Brunson backs his coach

While acknowledging the frustration with some officiating decisions, Brown did not place the entire blame for the loss on that single moment.

Jalen Brunson backed his coach, praising his energy on the bench:

I’ll always have his back. He has ours every night. Whatever he does, even when he gets a technical, I’m going to support him

Jalen Brunson

The Knicks guard faced the media with a bruise under his right eye. When asked where it came from, Brunson responded with a sarcastic smile:

Probably… another no-call

Jalen Brunson

The result won’t change, but the episode remains a talking point. In games this tight, every detail matters – and for the Knicks, that contact between Gilgeous-Alexander and Brunson is one they likely won’t forget anytime soon.