The New York Knicks have had enough of Victor Wembanyama's physical play. After the San Antonio Spurs star shoved Jalen Brunson during the first half of Game 3, Knicks guard Jose Alvarado fired back with a clear message: the French phenom won't get away with another cheap shot.
Wembanyama's shove on Brunson, which happened in the first quarter, sent the Knicks point guard stumbling. Officials didn't call a flagrant foul, but the NBA is now reviewing the incident to determine if Wembanyama deserves a retroactive flagrant, according to reports on the league's investigation.
Alvarado didn't mince words when asked about the play. "I think that's not basketball," Alvarado said, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. "That's something that they gotta look at. But he got away with one. That'll be the last one."
The warning comes amid a tense series that has already seen 21 Knicks fans arrested after a Game 3 watch party turned into chaos. With Madison Square Garden electric and emotions running high, Alvarado's comments signal that the Knicks won't back down from the rookie sensation.
Former Knicks star Stephon Marbury went even further, calling for someone to "pop" Wembanyama in the ribcage. "Wemby is an international player, they play dirty overseas, just so you know," Marbury said via Sports Illustrated. "We're not used to playing dirty in America the way how Wemby just now threw Jalen Brunson. If I'm watching film, and I see Wemby throw somebody on my team… the next game, I'm going to pop him in his ribcage so hard with my elbow that he's going to fall and drop to the ground."
Alvarado's warning adds fuel to a fiery NBA Finals series. The Knicks trail the Spurs 2-1 after dropping Game 3 at home, and tensions are boiling over. Actor Ben Stiller has begged Knicks fans to show class after ugly incidents in Game 3, but the players themselves are taking a different approach.
Game 4 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and all eyes will be on Wembanyama. Will the Spurs star face a retroactive flagrant? And how will the Knicks respond if he doesn't? One thing is certain: Alvarado's warning has set the stage for a must-watch showdown.
