Former NBA player Chandler Parsons sent a friendly warning to Knicks' Jalen Brunson and head coach Mike Brown over accusing Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of foul baiting in Wednesday's 103-100 loss. After the tightly-contested matchup, Brown gave Thunder's Gilgeous-Alexander a backhanded compliment for his ability to get to the line.
Parsons explained to Brown why complaining about the officiating isn't a good look for the Knicks, he said, per FanDuel TV's Run It Back.
“When you bring the game to the defense, and you are the more physical team, and you throw that first punch, and create that contact, that's usually how you get the whistle,” Parsons said. “SGA is exceptional at getting those calls. What's confusing to me is that Mike Brown is going to want these calls for Jalen Brunson, and he usually gets them. Careful now because your starting point guard does the same thing. If not, even better at it than SGA is.
“So, tread lightly with asking for less whistles because that is a huge part of Jalen Brunson's offensive game as well.”
"Tread lightly…your point guard (Jalen Brunson) does the same thing, if not even better at it than SGA!" 🗣️
Chandler Parsons has a message for Knicks HC Mike Brown about getting foul calls 👀@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/HFSYP0ED36
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 5, 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. He finished with 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting and eight assists. Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson had a rough shooting night, connecting on 5-of-18 attempts, including 1-for-5 from deep, and 4-for-6 from the charity stripe. Karl-Anthony Towns' double-double (17 points, 17 rebounds) led the Knicks in Wednesday's loss.
Mike Brown hits SGA with foul-baiting claims after Knicks loss
Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson took a shot at the officiating during his postgame media availability. When a reporter asked about a perceived black eye on his face, Brunson said it was most likely related to a no-call. Brunson, alluding to the Thunder winning over the referees over the Knicks, was an ongoing theme.
It felt as if head coach Mike Brown set the tone for the Knicks with his postgame comments
“SGA, he’s a tough cover,” Brown admitted before leaning into the critique. “He does a great job of convincing the referees, probably better than anybody in the league, that he’s getting hit.”
The Knicks will look to bounce back in their matchup against the Nuggets on Friday.
