NEW YORK - Knicks head coach Mike Brown praised the San Antonio Spurs for securing Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden and narrowing the best-of-seven series gap. He reserved sharper words for the game officials.

Brown highlighted the box score showing the Spurs earning triple the free throw opportunities of the Knicks during the second half, allowing San Antonio to pull out a 115-111 victory on Monday night and trim New York's series advantage to 2-1.

The Knicks entered the penalty situation for the final 9:18 of the fourth quarter, during which the Spurs enjoyed a 24-8 edge in free throw tries.

"I spoke with the officials. They outshot us 14-3 from the free throw line in the third quarter. I discussed it with them, and they explained each call as a foul," Brown said. "My question to them was simple. You may be correct that we committed fouls. But they committed fouls as well."

Brown repeated the concern multiple times during his postgame media session, aiming to keep the topic of officiating alive ahead of Game 4 on Wednesday.

"It will become the story because I mentioned it," Brown said. "Still, there were areas within our control where we fell short. We let them score first early in the game. We allowed them to score first at the start of the second half.

"We committed turnovers, our offense stalled, and we permitted them to drive into the paint while failing to follow our defensive assignments."

The defeat marked the Knicks' first loss in nearly two months and snapped a 13-game playoff winning streak. It was the first time since the 1993 Finals that the visiting team captured each of the first three contests in a series.

New York's players avoided blaming the officials.

"That did not decide the outcome. We turned the ball over. We failed to execute," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. "We strayed from what produced 13 consecutive victories. That is how games are lost. We abandoned our approach for 13 games and tried something else, which will not succeed."

Jalen Brunson also focused on turnovers instead of the calls. The Knicks closed the first half with a scoring run to build a seven-point lead, yet the Spurs quickly responded and maintained composure amid the charged atmosphere at the Garden during its first Finals game since 1999.

"There are some things that we can control that I did not think that we controlled tonight. And then like I said, maybe we fouled 24 times, but I am baffled that they only fouled eight in the second half."Knicks coach Mike Brown

"I believe we committed too many turnovers above all, and we also fouled frequently, sending them to the line roughly 30 times," Brunson said. "Our live-ball turnovers allowed them to push in transition."

Brunson paced New York with 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting (44 percent), though below his prior series norms. The Knicks' fourth-quarter offense slowed considerably, with fluid ball movement appearing only in brief stretches during their attempted rally.

"I appreciated some of the shots, yet I also believe we became stagnant," Brunson said. "There are clear lessons to take away. Particularly regarding our starts to the game and the half, I do not believe we performed well, and I include myself in that assessment."

OG Anunoby tallied 28 points while exploiting his edge against the Spurs, though he attempted just 13 shots. Towns, central to much of the Knicks' postseason offense, received limited touches in the second half. In the opening half, New York scored 23 points without a turnover across 14 possessions when Towns touched the ball in the frontcourt, per ESPN Research.

The Knicks converted just 36 percent of their shots in the second half and shot a poor 7-for-27 in the fourth quarter.

"I remind the players that it is a seven-game series for a reason. They are an excellent team," Brown said. "There were elements within our control that I felt we did not manage tonight. And as I noted, perhaps we fouled 24 times, yet I remain puzzled that they were charged with only eight fouls in the second half."

Towns and his teammates struggled to contain Victor Wembanyama compared to the first two games, while their primary defensive focus also faltered.

Wembanyama posted 10 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter, along with eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals across 38 minutes. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper began exploiting gaps in the Knicks' defense, appearing more assured than a team that had seemed overwhelmed entering the intense Garden setting.

"They were very physical from the start. They played with great speed," Knicks guard Landry Shamet said. "They reached the paint more often than we preferred. They attacked aggressively. Castle had 18 points at one point in the first half, showing he was effective. Harper drove into the paint. [De'Aaron] Fox. Wemby was finishing lobs."

The focus now shifts to re-energizing a young roster after the Knicks had the Spurs in a difficult position.

"It does not surprise us in the least. They trailed 2-0," Josh Hart said. "We expected them to play with urgency and determination. We should have begun the game more effectively."